STOP Overcomplicating the CAGED System!!!

➢ The Official Zombie Guitar Website: www.zombieguit...
➢ My 3 FREE Courses: www.zombieguit...
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Links to lessons mentioned in this video:
➢ The Super Comprehensive CAGED Lesson: www.zombieguit...
➢ Basic Rules of Chord Construction: • The 3 Most Important T...
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Enjoy!

[@wtdenton4090]

NICE! GREAT STUFF BRIAN! I have been playing since 1987. Took two years of guitar in Highschool and Two years in College. You are by far the best at explaining Caged, Modes, Circle of 5ths and 3rds, etc. Than any teacher or professor I ever had. The people starting out learning guitar in today's world are lucky to have access to your knowledge. I hope they appreciate you for the valuable resource that you are! Cause you deserve it!

[@Mujcanal]

Yes we do !

[@Ahmed-kv4up]

For me the CAGED system is about arpeggios and partial chords shapes. Thanks, maestro.

[@leemus1966]

My definite GoTo channel! Thank you for what you do!

[@MustafaBaabad]

I have never thought that chord construction can be explained in such systematic way. Excellent method from an electrical engineer. Thank you very much Brian. You can write a small e-book and sell it to musicians. What you have just presented like a great mystery being unravelled. Thank you very much Brian. Cheers from Indonesia.

[@dannyc6166]

Fantastic lesson Brian. You have a real gift for teaching guitar so that everyone can easily understand the CAGED system, & all your lessons. Can’t recommend a better guitar teacher than you!!!!

[@skintslots]

Great stuff. A good lesson to bookmark and watch again for reference at various future times.

[@maybeyoureright4334]

This perfectly explained, but for me (and a lot of people) being able to see the CAGED chords under their corresponding scale shape during lead really helps create more melodic solos. Being able to subconsciously know where the the 1 3 and 5 notes are all over the fretboard in any key took me from noodling being able to target specific notes with a sense of purpose. CAGED is at least equally as useful when playing lead.

[@zombieguitar]

I initially started teaching CAGED as strictly a "lead guitar" thing. Yes, 100% it is a "lead" thing. I have about 9 million videos about "chord tone targeting", and most of them use CAGED to target the chord shapes 😁

[@steveo44]

The caged system made everything click for me after being stuck in a rut for years. Its an awesome feeling looking at the fretboard and seeing many possibilities you couldn't see for years! Great video again. Your efforts are well appreciated 👍

[@tommore3263]

Your lessons are great and I'm glad I signed up. Keep up the great work.

[@esteban1487]

Great stuff Brian!

[@bradsims5116]

I have never used Cage system. Have recomended it to friends though.

[@taurushamilton2739]

That part 🤦🏾‍♂️😝😝👊🏾

[@stevec9972]

Does that mean you only use the 'cowboy"open chords at the nut end ?

[@bradsims5116]

For sure !

[@scottjones6624]

Clear, clear , clear...!

[@gilramsey3518]

I bought a book about this - "uncaged" was in the title - that completely baffled me because it. was talking about how CAGED "links together your pentatonic positions like tinker toys" and other BS that only serves to confuse. Thanks so much for straightening this out for me.

[@smoothpicker]

Thanks for clearing that up, makes more sense now. Thanks!

[@jeffreywoelfel333]

Incredible! Thank you! Subscribed!

[@mikedun8882]

When you demonstrated the half dim and the fully dim,it instantly sounded familiar.it sounded like a famous song from the 70's or 80's I think. I cant seem to think of it. Dim chords are not used often in pop music. Does anyone know the song? If you do please give a thumbs up to my comment with the answer. I dont look at comments much. I'll miss it Thanks

[@ShortsFactory101]

As always Brian makes it simple to understand!

[@Biteyourownteeth]

Good one Brian! I can motor all over the neck using the parent scale and the pentatonic, the modes etc. and more, I understand CAGED but never include it in my in the moment thought process when in improv jamming mode. Any lesson that helps me add CAGED to my mind set and note selection/lick options while jamming are appreciated.

[@Mauitaoist]

I took one of my guitars and I just used the C scale and I used three different color dots. The Roots the 3rd and the 5th so I marked off all of roots the 3rds and the 5ths with different colored dots for each one on every shape. That's how I was able to master most of what I needed from the Caged system now I can find the 3rd the 5th and the root everywhere on the neck in every key

[@geoffebuckle6754]

Yeah very good, very informative. 👍🎶🎸🇬🇧

[@sidgreen505]

When it comes to Brian Kelly. Hit the like button, subscribe and be informed. He is one of the best.

[@killeak999]

What a sexy guitar, sure you have good taste. Thx for the enlightment, great stuff.

[@MustafaBaabad]

When I watched this video I understand. But after that I confused again. So, the best way is bring your note, pen and paper and write it down and try to digest it many times later. Worth lesson from the expert..

[@rogerpercival5486]

I came up with the caged system to n my own but did not call it that not limited to to shapes it is not about shapes. To me to sbout links from octaves ,,I made up a game that was the alphabet backwards plus 2 and adding one extra n the b and e string because they are tuned down a fret.. t never hit me that was the same acronym for caged and I use it differently based on the circle of fifths snd. The pattern of how the guitar s tuned ,I have my own system that works on all scales modes snd. Patterns ,but yes the string matter because of how the fret board was designed

[@neildahl1188]

Very helpful and detailed information. I have used the caged system for riff rock. Either by playing chords or outline of chords in single note fashion. Just helps to move around and know that I am in key.

[@jeffreyhaley991]

Very nice Brian! Thank you!

[@rolandteves2724]

thank you sir for this amazing concept

[@GaryHill-j3n]

This was a light bulb moment for me thanks soooo much

[@paveques5578]

As always, clear and precise, thanks

[@Fashogun]

I haven't watched this video, but I'm giving it a like because BK deserves it.

[@zombieguitar]

Much appreciated! 😁

[@renegade1283]

Excellent explanation, Brian.

[@leewithey2014]

Fantastic as always!!! Thank you 🎼

[@alanmcdeer539]

Thanks Brian, at last I understand it!

[@Massimo_Cacciari_YouTube]

great video thank you

[@micahward8884]

Awesome job on the videos. I've probably watched them all. I've been playing guitar for 20+ years and watching your videos over the past year. What little I know about theory I've learned from your videos and I want to thank you for that. This question may show how little I know but could you say a fully diminished chord can also be 1-b3-b5-6(m6b5)? Keep up the great work.

[@zombieguitar]

Hey thanks for the words! While technically the 6 and the bb7 are both the same interval, you'd typically want to use the bb7 when spelling out that particular chord formula 😀

[@dwmichaels]

Thanks, that was helpful.

[@whyyeseyec]

So basically, the CAGED system is nothing more than learning chord inversions? Different places on the fretboard to play the same chord(s)??

[@zombieguitar]

Basically yes. It's really THAT simple 😁

[@stash7714]

I just used caged for chord tones. I’ll play the E and A shaped minor\major barre chords but I’m not playing the other shaped caged chords.

[@zombieguitar]

Yup me too 😁

[@apurvekka8079]

SIMPLY AWESOME👌👌👌

[@philjames1019]

One word .... awesome!!

[@cagrice7822]

really nice lesson for a improving beginner, BUT , it would be so much easier to understand if your neck diagram was flipped 180 degrees , so it more or less mirrors your fingers and guitar position, this would make visualising what you are teaching much easier .

[@zombieguitar]

🤦

[@RGBloke]

KZbin is wrong ... I should be able to LIKE this video every time I watch it, brilliant, will watch it again & again

[@zombieguitar]

I appreciate that. Thank you!! 😀

[@williamstockdale4833]

YOU. ARE. GOOD 🌱 LY

[@Douglas_I]

I guess the cage system is something I'm never going to understand lol! I dunno. I get what you're saying and understand it to a degree but what I really need is just a basic application for it. Like a simple song that makes it clear why cage is so useful.

[@zombieguitar]

Maybe not a simple song, but still a direct application to a popular song nontheless 😁: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZKxm6d4jq2oZpo

[@whatarefriends4]

I hate him already. Mr I understand every damn thing about this convoluted musical system! It twists my brain and I don’t like the whole way they wrote these theories😂

[@zombieguitar]

🤣🤣🤣

[@ewljr]

Great lesson!

[@gnawbabygnaw]

Thanks! 🤙🤙

[@matthicks5457]

Thanks!!

[@jeffearle1687]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

[@Po1itica11yNcorrect]

My issue has never been scales. It's always been phrasing. After years of practicing scales, I still suck at phrasing.

[@julianthoen2768]

Nice

[@samhoppe5283]

Great stuff, straight to the point no fluffing around. Makes perfect sence this way. Thanks 🤙

[@ORIGINALDaveB]

Hi Brian. I'm a bass player and never knew what the "CAGED" system was until I watched this video. My biggest problem with chording (usually arpegios on bass) was that I identified the root and just memorized the patterns. Once I know the pattern, I just go back to playing by ear. I just started playing again after about 30+ years so I slowly climbing back up the mountain. Thanks again!

[@diamondbackcheeonn]

So in caged system a shape is not a chord it’s is a roadmap to your destination chords to let you know where the 135 notes of the various chord’s resided and you can also thru the 135 notes to obtain the difference tonality of the said chords😊

[@mykneeshurt8393]

Number three, specifically that G shape.. is what help me up for SO long.. Great lesson Brian.

[@davidlegalley1161]

Excellent demo & explanation of what the C A G E D system is and how powerful a method/tool it is in playing the 🎸 ! Thank you Brian 👍🏽📌

[@larryC1070]

Concise and thorough visualization. Excellent info and excellent presentation!

[@kjellbratt6301]

And then you play like Yngwie........

[@zombieguitar]

Exactly!

[@neilhawkins1]

Yet another lightbulb moment!Thank you so much for your time to explain music theory in an understandable and comprehensive way.

[@YOGAMUDRAVIDEOS]

Excellent video!

[@namronmanelok4119]

Talk about an awesome music lesson. Thank you Brian for lesson.

[@lw8281]

Thank you Brian...that is a very good explanation! If you looking for new topics perhaps you can address this subject...ways for musicians to stay in time when playing a songs written lyrics (staccato as an instrumental) over backing tracks?

[@zombieguitar]

Great suggestion! Yes I can definitely do a video about that 😁

[@lw8281]

@@zombieguitar Hi Brian, thank you for offering to do a video on this subject. I find it difficult to do and if I do not know where the lyrics start, the bar and the beat, or if they cross the bar line, over the bar line phrasing, etc, playing the melody (staccato as an instrumental) sounds pretty bad against a backing track.

[@alphanumeric1529]

Okay, I get the Caged system in theory, but still not in practice. I hope to change that in time. :Remaining in theory though, how do we know what Caged shapes are within the diatonic scale/key we are playing in? Like, let's say I know the E shape, the G shape and the C shape, and I'm going to apply those shapes elsewhere on the fretboard for some type of chord progression within a major scale, how do I know which shape to use to achieve whatever chord I want, and how do I know if that shape contains only diatonic notes? To answer myself in the darkness of my ignorance of music theory and the guitar fretboard, I suppose you'd have to know the scale pattern of the key you're in. Then you'd have to sort of figure out what Caged shapes fit within that scale pattern? But then what is the point of the Caged system? If you need to know the whole scale pattern of your key to know what Caged shapes would fit within that pattern... it seems like knowing the whole scale pattern is a deeper and more invested knowledge than the Caged shapes themselves, so why would you invest the time and practice to know the Caged shapes? Or is there another way to apply the Caged system of shapes that doesn't rely on the deeper knowledge of the scale pattern of whatever key you are in, and where all the diatonic and nondiatonic notes are? Not trying to be argumentative, I'm just ignorant. Any help on this would be appreciated. And thank you for all of these years of your instruction, I know I'm profoundly ignorant, but what little I do know is a result of all of your hard work, over all of these years. You are a great teacher, you've helped me to understand concepts and practice that others have tried but failed to impart, again, due to my immense tardation. I do have to say, I've been learning the scale patterns of various keys, all up and down the neck, so the full map of all the diatonic notes, and then brute forcing triad positions through trial and error, and as I've done this, I'm just starting to get a little smoke going in my bow drill, I'm starting to see and know the patterns of the triads, both vertically and horizontally on the neck. Like I've done this with several keys, so the underlying pattern of the major scale and its triads is starting to form in my head/fingers... like the deeper pattern is starting to come together, so I'm getting to the place where I can apply those triad patterns to any key. If I can keep that engine of learning, through days of repetition upon repetition (have dementia, it is like building sand castles too close to the water at the beach, I can build almost the full structure, but the tide comes in, the day ends, and the next day, there is just a low amorphous lump where the structure was, and I have to start from almost scratch again, rebuilding my knowledge/castle.) But from going through this daily, forgetting, reiterating, and then partially re-remembering what I've previously learned, it IS finally starting to stick in a deep muscle memory kind of a place, like that of walking or riding a bike kind of memory, way down deep there, in other basic but core, physical memory systems of the brain, non-intellectual, non-information based memory systems! But if I could internalize the Caged shapes in the way I'm brute forcing these triad shapes, I really think I'd be cooking with plutonium, forget the fire. So, any advice, link to relevant past instruction, whatever, on how the Caged shapes themselves can work within a diatonic scale/key, without the full knowledge of all of the diatonic notes, all over the fretboard of the scale/key, it would be greatly appreciated. And if you've read this far, man, you've spent too much of your life reading and responding to my stupid(ly) long comments! But let me tell you, I'm appreciative in a way I hope you'll never have to know!

[@BluesIsDerBeste]

All the shapes are in that key! Every one of the 6 (actually 7) chords within a key can be played in multiple places on the fretboard and different voicings. You can achieve different sounds that way for example. Also when you solo and wanna go for the best sounding notes, those will essentially (99% of the time) be the chord tones of the underlying chord that the rhythm section is playing in that moment. What helps you find all the chord tones of a chord somewhat more easily all across the neck? --> CAGED shapes Just read the first two and the last sentence skipping everything in between, but I hope I could clear up some of your confusion.

[@zombieguitar]

@alpha numeric the CAGED system does NOT give you that information. Anytime you are talking about "scale patterns", you are talking about "layer 1". Layer 1 is about the KEY. General music theory knowledge will let you know which chords are in the key. The CAGED system allows you to play ANY chord, ANYwhere on the entire fretboard, regardless of and completely independent of the key!

[@brianperaza4634]

I knew I could rely on you to clear up my doubts on this topic. Thank you!

[@DnoboDy]

And this is how complicated becomes simple! Thank you!!

[@philnel7516]

Thanks Brian. So clear, so practical. Really enjoy your teaching!

[@PR-BEACHBOY]

Very cool video Brian! Nobody I’ve seen or spoken to teaches the way you do. Did you learn that from your instructor or come up with this yourself? Just curious! Music theory can be such a detailed subject that it makes me curious about how these ideas first developed?

[@zombieguitar]

I appreciate the words Walt! I just try to explain things in a way that I feel most people would be able to follow along with. My mom is a teacher too, so maybe I learned from her 😁

[@PR-BEACHBOY]

@@zombieguitar Very likely! I remember my wife having my kids on her lap from infancy and reading to them etc. Both kids grew up to become great students and players of multiple instruments. It’s hard to overestimate the influence great mom’s have on their kids!

[@ErroneousTheory]

You are simply the best online guitar teacher on KZbin

[@Will-sh8kl]

Thanks Brian! Excellent lesson as always! 😀👍🙏

[@oldmanpatriot1490]

I love that green guitar,, To me the caged system allows a person to know where to find good chord tone notes while soloing over a chord progression.. Its a easy system to learn where the notes are as the chord progression changes behind the solo... Once you understand it, and follow it,,, it will turn your crappy one box one key solo into a fluid sounding solo pleasing to the ear effortlessly.... Then,,, once you have that down, you can start to see how scale patterns start to connect to do the same changes over more difficult chord progressions.. its really EnGenius when you think about it... its one of the most effective tools in most professional players today.. if you watch them closely, you can see the caged system being used all over.

[@zombieguitar]

Agreed and well said! 😁

[@colink4823]

What a great video, really well explained.

[@Mestavo]

the good'ol G shape A♭ in the 1 -4 frets lol

[@nickbnickb5262]

Have you ever considered flipping the fretboard graphic so it is in the same orientation as the actual fretboard, rather than how it looks looking over the neck. I get it, but I'm always distracted by your left hand going in one direction as the notes on the graphic go in the opposite direction. BTW many thanks for your work. REALLY APPRECIATED..

[@SKOVDEPETE]

Exactly. Mirrored and upside down is very confusing 🤔

[@StratsRUs]

It is Fine by me.Whether I'm with my guitar on, or not.

[@BluesIsDerBeste]

So you want it to be unreadable for 99.9% of the population? It's designed to look like YOUR fretboard, when you look at it peeking over your guitar. Not like Brian's when he's sitting across from you. Because that'd be kinda dumb, right? You'd have to invert everything to apply it to your guitar. I really wonder where people get that kind of nonsensical ideas from.

[@WaIkr]

That would be in correct, though. Chord boxes are not notated or oriented the way you suggest as standard.

[@thomasgriffin8712]

30 years of learning on my own, and then going to the internet has confused me quite a bit the last four videos I watch by you have straighten me out now I can move on the right way🎉

[@zombieguitar]

Glad to hear it 😁

[@thomasgriffin8712]

I went right to your website sign up for a lifetime membership and it wouldn't take PayPal

[@thomasgriffin8712]

I'll try again today

[@Theunknownshredder]

I still don’t get it😅

[@zombieguitar]

What don't you understand? Maybe I can help 😁

[@craigewinger1206]

Thank you Brian for this CAGED lesson. A couple of light bulbs lit up in my brain when your diagram showed the roots to the CAGED chords and how the E and G shaped chords have the root on the 6th string; the C and A chords have the root on the 5th string; and the D chord has it's root on the D string. The diagram showed how the C shape leads into the A shape both with 5th string roots and the G shape leads to the E shape, both with 6th string roots etc. Visualizing this via your diagrams really helped me see it. I've seen a lot of videos on CAGED and some added to my confusion. I would keep your video focused on major CAGED chord shapes for simplicity sake and save the minor, augmented. dominant 7th etc. CAGED chord shapes for a different more advanced video. I will definitely watch this video again so as to digest it all. Craig Ewinger

[@zombieguitar]

But taking the shapes and manipulating into other chords is exactly the point that I wanted to get across in this video. This isn't the main CAGED tutorial, which is linked in the description 😁

[@michaellandreth1392]

What people need to see in these Caged lessons. Is how you could play a song with it. How it may be easier as you could possibly make chord changes easier. By not having to travel so much. Good job explaining what you explained.

[@zombieguitar]

I have made TONS of videos showing exactly what you just suggested! The point of this video was to un-complicate what is a very simple system. Next time you are looking up a song online, and you see an 'E' chord written down....now you have multiple shapes that you can use for that chord 😁

[@i.duhourq2519]

my boy C shape got left out! I think with the use of the other examples we can get the idea. Keep rocking

[@zombieguitar]

Poor D shape got left out too 😢🤣

[@tbone2451]

Well taught lesson Brian. I just don’t know where I’d fit this in. Probably because I still don’t quite get it. I know the chord shapes, probably the most basic ones, in form one and two. I’m wondering if I should dedicate more time to triads.

[@zombieguitar]

Let's say you're playing a song that has a chord progression: A D E Everytime the E chord comes along, you now have a few new ways of playing it. That's really all there is to it, and that's how you would use this info 😁

[@tbone2451]

@@zombieguitar Thanks Brian

[@mickmccann59]

Hi Brian, I like your videos a lot as they're always very informative. I do find it difficult to follow along sometimes, with the fretboard diagram at top being the opposite way as to the way we view it holding guitar, but it's all good stuff, thank you for sharing you're knowledge 👍🎸

[@zombieguitar]

TABs have the low E-string at the bottom. Standard musical notation has the low pitched notes on the bottom. Standard fretboard diagrams (like the ones that I use in all my videos) are just a chord diagram (like the ones that I use in all my videos) turned counter-clockwise by 90°. These fretboard diagrams are the correct orientation. You definitely want to get used to reading them like this, because the "upside down" way will hinder you in the long run 😁

[@zombieguitar]

@@Burnout_AU you shouldn't need to "flip" anything though. This is the correct orientation for a fretboard diagram. The majority of guitarists have no problems following diagrams oriented this way and would be very confused if they were flipped. This is the correct way! You need to just get used to reading them this way. "Low string bottom, nut to the left" is the right way! Its not supposed to match the direction of my guitar. You could pretend that the diagrams weren't there, and you were sitting face to face with another guitarist...Two right handed guitar players facing each other would have the necks facing opposite directions from each other. So that's normal. The diagrams are there to add additional help. They are not supposed to be "backwards" like my guitar. What you are asking for is something that maybe 5% of people ask for. I get it, but it is 100% wrong and would confuse the remaining 95% of players that have no problems reading these diagrams the correct way. Do a Google search. Buy books. Buy guitar charts, etc. The fretboard diagram are ALWAYS oriented the same way that they are in my videos. You have to learn to read these the correct way!

[@tonyhudson8235]

This has changed everything for me. I've been learning for about 3 years now, and the CAGED system has been touted to me dozens of times, but everybody has made it so difficult to be seen as practical. I got the concept, but just couldn't implement it on the fretboard. This has opened an entirely new avenue for me. Awesome video.

[@zombieguitar]

Glad to hear it! 😁

[@tonyhudson8235]

@@zombieguitar Just spent the evening practicing. It has really expanded my use of the fretboard. Spotting Arpeggios is so much easier.

[@d.t.3958]

A cool lesson yet again! I especially liked the demonstration of using CAGED as a starting point for altering major chords into other types. Thank you! I feel that you missed out on pointing out one more thing that the CAGED system can also help with. It's understanding chord inversions. If you lay out the CAGED all over the fret board (not thinking only in the shapes), you will find all of the common inversions of major chords and can then also go to find inversions for all the others.

[@zombieguitar]

This video used inversions in it a lot. I just didn't call them "inversions" 😁

[@d.t.3958]

@@zombieguitar Yeah that's what i meant. Calling it out as a side note would have clarified that concept as well. But maybe there's the opportunity to make another video on that (if you haven't already and you probably did :-) )

[@fenders9911]

GREAT LESSON

[@neilmartin99]

There is no way in God's green earth that I can do the G shape down the neck while barring with my index finger. So I just cheat and play the root on the high e string with my pinky and barre the bottom 4 strings 3 frets up. Of course I only strum the bottom 4 strings but hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

[@zombieguitar]

Yup that's exactly how I play that shape too! 😁

[@neilmartin99]

@@zombieguitar LOL that's freaking awesome.

[@TheTundraTerror]

It's weird how a lot of guitar lessons teach people to play songs with open chords when, really, it's the least efficient and practical way to play chords.

[@sholland42]

“Lessons” are about people thinking there’s some simple solution to good music, no way. Music takes much learning. Open chords are great, you can’t make a closed chord sound the same.

[@TheTundraTerror]

@@sholland42 unless you plan on playing Bob Dylan covers for the rest of your life, open chord don't get you very far.

[@destroso]

Each chord shape has a respective scale shape also right?

[@destroso]

I thought it was to find chord tones within the shapes as well

[@zombieguitar]

No, that's the big misconception 😉

[@destroso]

@@zombieguitar but isn’t it useful to find chord notes on the shapes when soloing? How else does one memorize them?

[@zombieguitar]

@@destroso yes it's very useful, and that's exactly what "chord tone targeting" is. However the CAGED system can not, does not, and never will provide you with the SCALE information.

[@destroso]

@@zombieguitar yes, completely agree, it’s used in conjunction, as all chords are made from scale patterns, like an X-ray into the scale shape but also it’s own thing, right?

[@HigherPlanes]

G shape also sets you up to play pattern two pentatonics. Phenomenal lesson.

[@ryankinman199]

But if you want to chase chords while improvising, those scale positions correspond to chord shapes...

[@zombieguitar]

They only correspond to the I chord of the key. The scale (layer 1) needs to be given direct focus, and the chords (layer 2) also need to be given direct focus. If a song or chord progression is in one single key, which is usually the case for most rock/pop songs, then the "scale patterns" (layer 1) remain constant. Whereas the "chord shapes imbedded within the scale patterns" (layer 2) change as the chords do. The BIG misunderstanding is that people do not differentiate between the 2 layers, and therefore they get confused by the CAGED system!

[@zombieguitar]

More info on the "2 layers" here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXrXZnljhNKdidU

[@mauricepowers8079]

Compliments on your explanation...for the first time, I THINK I ACTUALLY GET IT...THANK YOU.

[@clitorineverain5359]

Great ! Thks Brian