CAGED Essentials

What is CAGED — and why does it matter?

CAGED stands for the five open chord shapes every guitarist already knows: C, A, G, E and D. The big idea is that each of these can be turned into a moveable shape, placed end to end across the fretboard, and used to organise everything: chords, scales, arpeggios - in any key, anywhere on the neck.

A common misunderstanding is that CAGED is just about chords. It isn't. Chords are the starting point, and the focus of this course, but CAGED is ultimately a complete framework for understanding the guitar fretboard. The goal - and it will take work to get there - is musical and creative freedom: to be able to find and play any musical idea in any key anywhere on the fretboard.

What's in the course?

29 video lessons, over 2 hours 45 minutes. Three parts, building logically from the foundations. Each section includes a video lesson plus all the supporting materials (tabs, fretboard diagrams and backing tracks) so you can actually put the ideas into practice. All done with a thoroughness and attention to detail you expect from an ACPG course. 

Frequently asked questions

Do I get permanent access to the course?

Yes. Once you enrol you have permanent access to all the videos and course materials.

Can I download the videos?

For copyright reasons the videos aren't available to download directly, but the Teachable app lets you save them for offline viewing. All PDFs and backing tracks are fully downloadable.

Who is the course aimed at?

All guitarists are going to benefit from a thorough knowledge of the CAGED system. So it really doesn't matter what kind of style of music you're into, whether you're an acoustic player or an electric player. The course begins with the basics and then builds on these foundations towards some more advanced concepts in the later stages of the course. Everything is clearly explained, but it's not a course for total beginners. At a minimum you should be comfortable with open chords and basic barre chords.

I've been playing for a while, is this still going to be useful to me?

Probably. If you've dabbled with CAGED but never really got to grips with it, or if you're a self-taught player looking to fill in some theoretical gaps, there should be plenty here for you. Since this is an extremely detailed course, there will be things there that even quite experienced players can take from it. That said, be sure to take a careful look at the curriculum before committing, so you can decide whether it's right for you.

What if I find it's not right for me?

There's a 14-day money-back guarantee. If the course isn't what you were after for any reason, just get in touch.

Is there any direct interaction with the instructor?

This is a self-paced video course, so there's no live teaching element. That said, I'll be in the comments under each video and will do my best to answer questions there.

Does the course cover scales and lead playing?

Since this is an introduction to CAGED, the primary focus is on chords and chord progressions - that's where CAGED really earns its keep. I do discuss the connection between CAGED and scales towards the end of the course, but a deeper exploration of CAGED-based soloing will be covered future courses.