Guitar Major Scale CAGED

The CAGED system is a common way to view and understand scales on guitar.

It uses the open chord shapes that you likely learned as a beginner, and uses them for visualization.

There are 5 Major Scale CAGED shapes, and here they are.

Major Scale CAGED shapes using C Major

You’ll use the C major scale to learn the CAGED positions.

The lines are there to help you recognize the primary chord shape for each position, and how it fits into the scale shape.

C Shape CAGED

Major Scale CAGED C Shape — CAGED C Shape (C Major)

A Shape CAGED

Major Scale CAGED A Shape — CAGED A Shape (C Major)

G Shape CAGED

Major Scale CAGED G Shape — CAGED G Shape (C Major)

E Shape CAGED

Major Scale CAGED E Shape — CAGED E Shape (C Major)

D Shape CAGED

Major Scale CAGED D Shape — CAGED D Shape (C Major)

CAGED System alternative

A great CAGED system alternative is the 3-notes-per-string system.

While the CAGED system is helpful for understanding intervals and how they can relate to open chord shapes, it’s not the best system for visualizing scales for improvisation and composition.

The 3-notes-per-string system allows you to effortlessly change keys and shred the fretboard.

Both systems have a place, though. Learning the major scale CAGED and with 3-notes-per-string will give you an incredible understanding of the fretboard.

Summary: Guitar Major Scale CAGED

The major scale CAGED shapes give you scale outlines that relate to your open chord shapes.

These CAGED shapes will help you understand the notes around those CAGED chords as you move them around the fretboard.

Remember to pay attention to the intervals in each shape, and how they relate to the open chord for that particular position.

Memorize these shapes to understand different positions on the fretboard, and not as tools for quickly throwing together a solo.

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