How CAGED opens up your fretboard - Dr. Molly Miller | Pickup Music

Join all-round guitar guru, Dr. Molly Miller, as she guides you through the fundamentals of the CAGED system in this 10-minute lesson.
This video is perfect for players looking for a frustration free way to learn the fretboard.
Molly's straightforward approach will change the way you look at chords and set you on the path to unlocking the fretboard.
Whether you're a beginner eager to expand your knowledge or an advanced player seeking to refine your skills, this lesson has something for everyone.
If you enjoy the lesson and want to learn more from Molly, check out the CAGED Learning Pathway from Pickup Music.
There’s currently a 14-day free trial available - get full access to all of our courses, with interactive lessons, and personalized feedback.
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Chapters:
00:08 - CAGED system explained
01:24 - Start your CAGED journey
05:14 - Exercise 1
07:03 - Exercise 2

[@Pickupjazz]

Hungry for more? Try the CAGED Learning Pathway free for 14 days: pickupmusic.co/3RPkOJk

[@KarlKarsnark]

It takes 10 minutes to learn the "CAGED Pathway", whatever the fook that means. LOL! It's 5 shapes and 5 corresponding scale shapes. That's it. For free. The end.

[@Pickupjazz]

@@KarlKarsnark how about minor, triads, and arpeggios? 🤔😁

[@callmedeno]

Finally someone who uses the correct camera angle for looking at the guitar neck

[@Pickupjazz]

🙌

[@11p22e33t44e]

Agreed. And the bright nail varnish makes it real easy to see where her fingers are placed.

[@hhectorlector]

It’s the best view but that twist hurts my wrist just looking at it 😅

[@WesFanMan]

Not if you are left handed. 😒

[@drosophila82]

so true, makes a big difference.

[@officialWWM]

This is the best explanation of caged that I have seen. Well done.

[@Pickupjazz]

Glad it was helpful!

[@richgl31]

Definitely I got that in minutes. Cool-thanks. Followed.

[@alexjcorona2605]

The first 50 seconds already helped me understand caged so much better than all the other times I've touched on it.

[@Pickupjazz]

That's awesome! 👏

[@kojam1]

THIS?! THIS IS THE CAGED SYSTEM THAT KEEPS POPPING UP ON MY KZbin ALL THESE YEARS?! 😱 Been doing this forever. Didn't know it was the GAGED system. Good to know. Thanks!

[@Danilo-qk2gw]

Same thing here hahaha! Can"t believe that's what it is

[@Pickupjazz]

Thanks for watching! Glad we could help demystify it! 🤘

[@LeFingal]

i bet you have heard " one-and-to-the-three-and-then-a-one-and-to-the-three" at least if you are into bepop you have. Anyways, the funniest way to learn the notes is to used scales/modes and play the scale you are in on every place you can on the neck, easy peace, my fav being A and Dm, they are as married as it gets :;P

[@mcfluffie6111]

I have been working on the CAGED system for a few months now and this video has really helped me understand it so much better! Thank you for sharing!

[@OlafBlomerus]

This course alone changed my guitar playing and elevated to a point where I can confidently say "I can play guitar" and not just strum a few chords. Thank you, Molly. From the bottom of my heart.

[@Pickupjazz]

That's awesome! Congrats and keep at it! 💪

[@martinhunter8777]

I have to agree with everyone else, I been learning just over a year, and know the CAGED system is important, but have not seen anyone else actually explain so clearly how it works and how it can be used - Thanks very much

[@Pickupjazz]

Thanks for watching! 🤘

[@777ZEETAL]

Good Lord. I’ve taken online lessons (Tim Pierce/Paul Davids) and while I still love them, I got more out of the first 3 1/2 mins of this on understanding CAGED than my previous 35 years of playing 😭

[@Pickupjazz]

That's great! Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching! 🤘

[@cool...............]

The most concise and helpful lesson. Brilliant work.

[@Pickupjazz]

Appreciate it! Thanks for watching! 🤘

[@ChristianDurham]

I really like this presentation; simple, professional, and clear.

[@Pickupjazz]

Glad you liked it!

[@abrahamsellem3254]

Thanks a lot. I see a lot of video on KZbin but with this one I undestand everything :) thank you 👍👍👍

[@anselmoroberto2464]

The explanation is very clear. When the guitarist has understood this mechanism well, he can begin to develop the ability to improvise in any style. You are a good teacher 🎸

[@silambarasanr.d2604]

Best ever CAGED explanation with easily understandable graphics. 😇

[@AngryP]

Best explanation of CAGED I have seen here on the tube and finally understand it!

[@Pickupjazz]

Nice! Thanks for watching! 🤘

[@svenihedlund]

Thanks a lot for this video! Most clear explanation I have ever seen on CAGED!

[@bluboydmartian]

Of all the CAGED system video courses I've watched, this is the best so far and gave me a better understand too!

[@philliesrock1414]

I've been playing for 14 years now and keep trying to break through to music theory and understanding the neck more, this video helped a lot thanks!

[@Pickupjazz]

Rock on! Glad it was helpful! 🤘

[@viewoftheaskew]

I finally get it, your excellent graphics made it very clear.

[@yadayada369]

Best part of this is all the time/space Molly leaves between shapes that you have to count! One of the best things to learn early is that space is as or more important than what you play and she explains the CAGED system so well while teaching that too! 🙂

[@Pickupjazz]

Agreed! Space goes a long way for feel and musicality. Thanks for watching! 🤘

[@rafaellewis1263]

Its true! When I play guitar my girlfriends favorite parts are the spaces between my playing.

[@Santaheckler]

This was done very well! She even changed her fingernail colors to help visualize the exercises better. 😍👍

[@kirkwilliams2127]

I already pay for several guitar courses, but, I love how well this is done and how clear she is in explaining. I think I might need to sign up for awhile.

[@Pickupjazz]

Our course with Molly has been a gamechanger for a lot of guitarists! Also, we have a 60-day moneyback guarantee if you're not satisfied with the lessons :)

[@davidlaidlaw7538]

Finally! Best explanation I’ve seen. Well-scripted and beautiful animations. 🤘🏻

[@Pickupjazz]

Thanks so much! Appreciate you watching!

[@mariofernandez7624]

Great info on merging the shapes, thanks so much!

[@CalvinLimSH-ld5le]

Thanks for a good caged visualization how they are connected in the guitar fretboard.

[@Pickupjazz]

Sure thing!

[@user-ok5xe1ub8b]

100% THE best lesson on caged on the entire web! Im def trying the 14 days🎸🎶🔥

[@Pickupjazz]

Awesome! Come join the Pickup Music fam! 🤘

[@mauriceee1434]

i am going to try this with your lesson . you have made it the most clear to me so far.

[@Pickupjazz]

Awesome! 💪

[@AxleShaddows]

Wow this was a fantastic lesson!

[@Stewart_John]

Very useful and informative thanks!

[@JonathansSoul]

Great video. Really easy to follow. Thanks🙏🏾

[@Pickupjazz]

Glad it was helpful!

[@masterfoben13]

Don’t know why, I’m teaching guitar myself, but I never realised what 'CAGED' just stands for. Figured this system out myself over time but your explanation is so to the point, it took the first few seconds and I understood everything perfectly. Thanks big time!

[@Pickupjazz]

Awesome! Glad you found us on your CAGED journey! 🤘

[@markmzhickteno7274]

Great video Molly!!! YOU ROCK❤

[@drwadearnold]

I"ve watched dozens of videos on the CAGED system. Maybe I've heard it enough that it's starting to make sense, but this is the best by far.

[@Pickupjazz]

High praise! Thanks for watching! 🤘

[@bmcpsd31]

Amazing. Great place to start. This will help a lot of people.

[@Pickupjazz]

Thanks for saying so and thanks for watching!

[@erock5b]

I took lessons 10 years ago and they never explained what the caged system was. They weren't the best lessons. This is great. Thanks.

[@Pickupjazz]

The missing link debunked! Thanks for watching 🤘

[@cliftonjarvis8010]

Thanks for explaining it very well.

[@Pickupjazz]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lw216316]

Dr. Molly that was an excellent teaching about the CAGED system I invented. Please, let me explain. Before all the good guitar teaching was available on the internet I was struggling to figure out (on my own, no teacher or videos or books) how to play more than just the basic open chords I new. I knew about being able to use the E form to make other chords as I moved it along the neck. So it made me wonder if other chords were also 'moveable.' So, on my own, I discovered that the C, A, G and D chords were also moveable. I think the order in which I discovered them was E, A, D, C and G. I tried to think of a word those letters would spell so it would help me remember them and so I invented C-A-G-E-D. Now here is the funny part. I did not know this system already existed! So as far as I knew I was the only person in the world who knew it! It was like I had discovered the Grand Canyon thinking I was the only person who had ever seen it. I thought to myself - I have got to share this with the world! Of couse, later on I learned that it was nothing new. I was disappointed but in a way I did invent it - at least for myself! You might say I was a co-inventor of the CAGED system and the others did so unknown to me and before my time.

[@Pickupjazz]

Yes! CAGED is all there on the fretboard ready to discover. Sounds like you were on the right track ahead of curb! 🤘

[@craigdanj]

Been playing the guitar for 12 years, first time I actually understood caged. Kudos.

[@Pickupjazz]

Thanks so much! 😁

[@lucascolitti5009]

I loved this lesson. Thank you so much

[@Pickupjazz]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@dannyrosado2554]

Best caged explanation ever, with excellent visuals 🤙🏼

[@Pickupjazz]

Much appreciated!

[@reinoldg]

The beat and branding is really cool! Also the quality of the videos

[@Pickupjazz]

Thanks so much! 🙏

[@KingdomOfHeavenPictures]

I've never seen or noticed this about these chords. Great stuff

[@jerad508]

Great explanation , excellent looking guitar

[@skyblue-tl1iw]

Thank you so much

[@jessbrannon7243]

Awesome job thank you!!

[@Pickupjazz]

😁😁😁

[@strummercash5601]

The Doctor is an exceptional educator: clear, thorough, succinct, and encouraging. Great. Plus, that MM is wicked. Just got a Cutlass though I won’t be playing it as well as does Dr. Molly. Still, makes me feel a bit less guilty with the purchase.

[@Pickupjazz]

Thanks for watching! Molly is one of the best. Congrats on the new axe! 🎸

[@brentonkelly3780]

...well explained Molly, thankyou

[@Pickupjazz]

Cheers! Thanks for watching!

[@LeFingal]

Just learn bass... you can transfer what you learn on the bass to the guitar and extend it. I started teaching my self bass September 2023, spent a lot of hours, and joined a semester on a music school to learn music theory and more about modes, and that helped me level up on guitar, even though i have parked my guitar 10 years before i recently bought 2 guitars and my level up happened some days ago, my teacher from the semester taught me some valuable music theory which was as if he gave me these keys to a lot of the boxes in my head that has been marked with question mark because i didn't understand the theory behind it until i learned it. Never read notes either, but now i can read basic notes too. The only scale/mode i knew on guitar before was blues scale and now i know dorian, ionian, locrian, pentatonic , mixolydian, bass, and 1 kinda advanced beepop scale that only works on shift and only if you time it right. :) This what you say in this video is probably a very good tool for alot of beginners, but i rather this to a beginner, in order to make it easier for your self, do the dry stuff first, print out a sheet of a neck, start with the E string, and learn where the notes are on the neck, and how B always right next to C, same goes for E always followed by F. In norway they dont have Bb, but they have H... this is so confusing so i stick to Bb and B and here is a fun fact Bsharp and C.... the same ptich, and that means its also the exact same tone, so for me, B sharp doesnt excist!

[@stalwartzero7001]

Molly is the ultimate ripper! I’m your biggest fan 🧝🏻

[@Pickupjazz]

She shreds!

[@thefatbeanie]

Lovely! Outstanding! And approachable. This lesson just feels good. It’s like I don’t feel I got Beato up afterwards!

[@Pickupjazz]

Thanks so much! Glad it was a help!

[@patrickshepherd1341]

The first part of this video is a great explanation. I've seen a lot of CAGED videos because transitioning keys mid-improv has always been my single weakest thing as a guitarist. I'm getting better, but it's about 20 years too late lol

[@Pickupjazz]

Thanks for watching!

[@ryanruthrhona]

Excellent vid! Is there something similar on understanding the patterns for the root notes of any scale?

[@rywk4225]

this is pretty awesome! just curious what about learning this for other scales? eg. minor harmonic, melodic minor, diminished, is there other acronyms or such to utilize?

[@j1f5a]

love the exercises!

[@Pickupjazz]

Glad you like them!

[@Dam-oH]

this was very well explained.

[@Pickupjazz]

Thanks! Cheers! 🤘

[@vpitts728]

Outstanding!

[@Pickupjazz]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@ArmanJovi]

This Doc rocks❤

[@Pickupjazz]

Agreed!

[@guiacord]

The best lesson ever

[@Pickupjazz]

The energy we're here for! 🤘

[@astormartinez2827]

yeah! ty!

[@kushgangar5639]

Nice explanation just like one on one session to remind the scale and chords didn’t went fast like other people on youtube explained very nicely.

[@Pickupjazz]

We have more improvisation focused lessons on our full site! 🤘

[@rectify2003]

Brilliant 🙏❤️

[@alainbrasseur7083]

first time I understand the caged system in less a minute, Kudo to you Dr. Molly Miller

[@Pickupjazz]

Cheers! Thanks for checking it out! 🤘

[@tonytaylor5087]

Very helpful!

[@Pickupjazz]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JoeIsOut2lunch]

My nine-year-old daughter can somehow learn any instrument or any music concept with little effort. The only thing needed is interest. She’s been taking vocal lessons since she’s four and performing live as well. Somehow, she has no interest in her dad‘s main instrument, guitar. Having a strong female role model for young girls, like yourself, is so refreshing and inspiring that I set an Alexa reminder for “guitar lessons with dad” tomorrow with a reward of 30 minutes of Roblox or KZbin. I’m going to print out a couple of chord shapes and…guitars in hand…watch your video. I’ll give her the remote, let her pause and ask questions, and see where it goes. Thank you for inspiring me. I wish there were beginner videos from someone like yourself pacifically aimed a young girls.

[@Pickupjazz]

Representation matters! 🤘 Best of luck with your guitar lessons tomorrow! 🎸

[@robertziegler469]

Great explanation! For anyone that is reading this, I am a professional guitar teacher and I think the CAGED system can be very effective for some people. However, in my years of teaching I found that my students benefit much more from the "five positions" system found in Barrett Tagliarino's book "Guitar Fretboard Workbook." Like anything, it is best to work through with a teacher that is already familiar with the "five positions" system.

[@Weeela]

Nice try, Barrett Tagliarino

[@robertziegler469]

@@Weeela 🤣🤣I wish! Just some advice from an experienced teacher. With that being said, different methods work for different people.

[@Pickupjazz]

Agreed!! Finding the right method is important and unique to each player 🤘

[@TalitaYera]

The best! ✨

[@Pickupjazz]

🙏

[@gotruut9145]

The Doctor is a Queen.

[@Pickupjazz]

Agreed! 👑

[@tama5570]

Excellent , thanks

[@Pickupjazz]

Glad you liked it!

[@DynamiteDre96]

Amazing teacher

[@Pickupjazz]

🙏

[@405Lenny]

Nicely done 👍👍

[@Pickupjazz]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@officialWWM]

That guitar is sick! Ima get one!

[@Pickupjazz]

🤘🎸

[@jamisonfrench]

This is a ridiculously good explanation. 👌 And I hope for some it helps put a face to the name, so to say.. because you’ve probably been doing this for a long time and never knew. 🔥 👏

[@Pickupjazz]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed. Yes! These shapes show up often but good to have a knowledge of the why and how 🤘

[@denisbarsalo]

Excellent video. I already knew about the CAGED system but never really did any exercises with it to internalize the fretboard. Thanks... BTW, I got a little confused when the nail polish colour changed at 5:18. :-)

[@Pickupjazz]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Bonsyoer]

I need this for lefty

[@alanpal313]

Dr. Miller, thank you for the info, But I have to say,.. That guitar is beautiful! Can't wait to hear you play it in a new video. Some model info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.😎

[@gotruut9145]

I know you would rather hear from the doctor, but that axe is a Ernie Ball Music Man Cutlass SSS It will run you about $2000 out the door. Really nice instrument.

[@alanpal313]

@@gotruut9145 Thanks friend.

[@officialWWM]

I’m with you, that is one cool looking guitar and every Ernie Ball I’ve ever picked up has an incredible neck! Now I have something new to lust after! 4K here in Australia though 😳

[@officialWWM]

@@gotruut9145I don’t think it’s a Cutless sss. That’s a different shape and has 3 single coils. This is an Albert Lee with 3 P90s.

[@pauljones4960]

It says Albert Lee on the headstock, so I guess…..

[@SebastianCristanchoYT]

YOU JUST BLEW MY FREAKING MIND

[@Pickupjazz]

🤯🤘

[@JefferyHunt]

I do play that “G shape” up the neck in real life. Just use your pinky for the root, bar 1 & 1/2 step down. ring finger plays 3 on the A string and middle finger can play 4 on the B string for the suspension if needed and then ring finger can come down to the D string to make “C/G shape” inversion. You can even just hammer both of those on from the “open” position (muting the B string in that case).

[@benuchie]

brilliant!... i 'roughly' 'know' this (after years and years of [never endingly ] 'painful'ly' slow 🐌🐌🐌 'learning')!... that said, from looking 👀 at this wonderful, brilliantly 'simple'*, CLEAR and COLOURFULLY presented @Pickupjazz video *due to a complete OVERstanding of the subject 🧠🧠🧠 🎸🎸🎸 i now 'know' i KNOW this 👀🤔😳🤯🤗🤗🤗 thank You 🤩🤩🤩 🙌🙌🙌

[@Pickupjazz]

Awesome! Thanks for watching. Slow and steady does it! 💪

[@vicpnut1]

After hearing and thinking i understood the caged system for a decade ,why is this the first time i heard mention how the shapes and order create a C up the neck ? Lol …this makes it actually useful 😂 ..all these years wondering and she explained in the first 45 seconds what 100’s of other caged lessons never mention 🤦🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️😜✌️👍🏼🤘🏼

[@Pickupjazz]

Glad you found us! Thanks for watching and happy we could clear that up! 🤘

[@michaelmattson3706]

I thought I was doing inversions. When I’m working with another guitarist I play the high cords. It makes a fuller sound. Yes excellent camera angle like @callmedendo said. Did anyone notice her ring fingernail changed color to match the others.

[@Pickupjazz]

Thanks for watching!

[@user-id4zq4ri1x]

What do you mean by "unlocking the freatboard"? So far as I understand, this method is only made to play the C,A,G,E and D chords. What about the sharp# chords??? Also you mentioned that it's possible to learn scales, arpeggios, triads etc.. How?

[@jaimepardo]

Is this suitable for a total beginner? Or Should a total novice start with something easier and come back to this when they have more knowledge. Also, what guitar is molly playing in the video it looks really cool!

[@corbinschmitz]

Ernie Ball Music Man Albert Lee Signature. There's a version of it that has the three P90 pickups like she has here called the BFR model (Ball Family Reserve)

[@Pickupjazz]

A total beginner might want to master open chords first and then move into learning this system.

[@furthur96]

After watching doc Molly I always wonder if lack of finger mass brings thin tone, unlike Johnny highland with those snausages

[@StokesMusicStudiosOnline]

Know the root. I bet a lot of people like this video. Pretty good explanation. Simply put, know the root.

[@Pickupjazz]

The root is the root of it all 🤘🤯

[@dabiededoo]

can you also tell which strings and frets to push because for me it's still to difficult to get them all

[@quiltface83]

C and A shape its string 1-5 G and E shape its all 6 strings D shape its strings 1-4

[@gedeo]

If only i could play bar chords 😩 this is my nightmare! I get the theory and why this is really helpful. (I play piano)

[@Pickupjazz]

Bar chords can be frustrsting for everyone! Hang in there 🤘

[@joshriggs4738]

Can we talk about that sick custom Music Man Albert Lee MM90? 😍

[@TheJakkaphop]

Thank u

[@Pickupjazz]

🤘

[@paulv.6040]

Let's talk about that Albert Lee with the flame maple neck. gorgeous!

[@joeltunnah]

I get that these are all C chords going up the neck, but what if I want to play an F for example?

[@vincestevenson9430]

Due to the guitar fretboard being able to transpose by merely moving a shape up or down the neck. You could either slide the shape the requisite number of frets until you get to the chord you want, or simply just play the F chord as you normally would. Ex. As an E Barre chord at the 1st fret [F]. I think I understand your question to be. "If CAGED is C,D,E...G,A...how do I play the other chords that are missing in a smooth way using this system?" I will leave that for the good Dr. to explain in her course! Edit: Actually I am not 100% sure what you are asking, but all the chords you know now or will ever learn are still there under your fingers. So play them as you normally would. Again, I will leave the 'system' for the Dr. to explain in her excellent way.

[@joeltunnah]

@vincestevenson9430 that was my question exactly. So what you're saying is, an "F" chord is really just the E shape barred at the 1st fret... so go on to the D shape at the 3rd fret, then C shape, then A, etc?

[@vincestevenson9430]

@joeltunnah Yes, exactly. You will now be playing F chords in different positions instead of C chords in different positions. If you played a standard open G chord, then went around in the CAGEDCAGED sequence you would be playing G chords in different positions, etc. I'm sure these CAGED lessons that litter the KZbinz will bear a lot of honey for you, so keep it up!! 🐻 🍯

[@aaroniemcwonley]

Her flexibility ensures she can play chords I didn’t expect to be plausible e.g. C in the shape of G

[@Pickupjazz]

Definitely can pick and choose which CAGED shapes make the most sense for each level of dexterity! 🤘

[@mphomotaung186]

Is she one of the guitarists in Pomplamoose?

[@totalSLACK]

🤯

[@frankstein5967]

Wow.

[@Pickupjazz]

🤘

[@kicsisziszi]

It could be a stupid question but let me ask anyway: can this be an EDCAG or GEDCA system?

[@quiltface83]

yes it can, if you want to do E and start with the open E then yeah it will work its way through the system starting from the E shape or you can play an E with the C shape (starting with the 5th string 7th fret) and do the caged system from there

[@kicsisziszi]

Thank you!

[@kicsisziszi]

@@quiltface83 Thank you! You brought light into my darkness! So I can see my frets clearer! ;)

[@Pickupjazz]

Yes! It can circle back around. CAGED is just a more friendly acronym 🤘

[@kicsisziszi]

@@Pickupjazz Thank you!!

[@newgunguy4176]

Ok. So, how do I do this in all keys?🤷‍♂️

[@corbinschmitz]

I may be a bit off, but to my knowledge you'd maintain the order based on the lowest form of the chord. For instance, playing a B chord would be the A shape moved to the second fret as the root note, so you could then play the G shape with the root note of the G chord being up the seventh fret, the E shape also rooted at the seventh fret, the D shape moved up closer to around the 9th fret and so forth. So it would be A-G-E-D-C. Still the CAGED order, and still doable, just starting with a different shape for a different key. If you start in the key of F, you could start in the E shape on the first fret root note and work your way through them so it'd be E-D-C-A-G as you move up the fretboard. Again, I'm kinda blind on this one but I believe this is probably pointing you in the right direction. Hope it helps!

[@1man1guitarletsgo]

By relating it to actual songs, not just exercises. The idea is to shift the shapes Molly illustrated along the fretboard, using the root notes of the chords and from them, the chord tones.

[@sundeepnani2597]

Lets take A major for example, Play A major then according to CAGED the next shape will be G shape for A major. this is like having a capo on fret 2 and playing G major it gives you Amaj. next to an E shape similar to capo on 4 fret and playing E shape..so on in a circle..CAGED

[@agharta42]

i've been doing this for years just based on fretboard knowledge but i didnt know someone had made a name for it

[@Pickupjazz]

Nice! You were ahead of the curb!

[@christiancenturion101]

8th Bar C Chord?

[@douglieberman6406]

What I do know is the chord C is spelled C E G , thank you.

[@chrissbenitez]

wow u changed nail colors so quickly