CAGED

CAGED is the map, not the destination. It tells you where each pentatonic box sits, and which chord is hiding inside it. Use it for two jobs only: finding chord tones in any position (week 3) and moving between positions (week 5).

Each of the five open chord shapes (C, A, G, E, D) can be moved up the neck. Every one has a pentatonic box that sits on top of it. For blues, use the dominant 7th version of each shape.

Shape	A7 at fret	Pentatonic box	Roots on	When
E	5	Box 1	low E, D and high E strings	Now (weeks 1 to 3)
D	7	Box 2	D and B strings	Now (week 5)
C	9	Box 3 (the BB King box)	A and B strings	Now (weeks 4 to 5)
A	12 (or open)	Box 4	A and G strings	After week 8
G	2 or 14	Box 5	low E, G and high E strings	After week 8

The order up the neck repeats: A, G, E, D, C, A, G, E and so on. For A that is: open A7, G shape at 2, E shape at 5, D shape at 7, C shape at 9, A shape at 12, G shape at 14.

How to practise each shape (5 minutes per shape)

1. Hold the chord. Strum it once.
2. Lift one finger at a time, play the nearest box note, put the finger back on the chord tone.
3. Play the box freely for two beats, land on a chord tone for two beats. Repeat for a full chorus over a backing track.
4. Change chord with the track, staying in the same position. Around fret 5, D7 is the A shape (x-5-7-5-7-5) and E7 is the C shape (x-7-6-7-5-4). Around fret 7, D7 is the G shape (10-x-7-7-7-8). Start with D7 in the A shape at fret 5; it is the easiest switch.

The goal is that in any position, your hand knows where the 3rd and b7 are before you play a note.