few days ago I played this improvisation… just let my fingers do the job in the key of A in EDC shape. I am learning CAGED system now and it is helping me so much to beat borders on fretboard.
This short sweet improvisation is something I would not think about I could play… and interesting on this that this captured moment “is not repeatable”. I did it. Probably if I had to make TABs and follow them… I would struggle.
Is it normal for your when you are proud of something you played… that you listen to that over and over again? Hope I am not psycho here.
I am comparing my older improvisation videos and I can see I am using more slides and it is leveling it up so much! I cant imagine what would be possible when I will learn to bend properly and use it naturally. I love the part where I just hold the note little longer and just vibrato it… for the moment.
Few mistakes here… but I can play it with bare fingers! Would you believe it?
Well done. Good job!!
A quick question, because i’m a bit in the woods here: if you say edc shape, in the key of A, what do you mean exactly?
Are you playing individual notes of the chords e, d and c, within the key of a?
In CAGED you can play any open chords CAGED by following upcoming shape. In case of chord A… I am playing it in shape E (root on fifth fret 6th string), then shape D (root on seventh fret 4rd string) and shape C (root twelfth fret 5th string). Each of this shape is containing A chord R, 3rd and 5ths. To this I am expanding it with pentatonics, so I am able to play same notes and connect the shapes, but playing still the same notes.
Anyone could clarify this, because I am still learning.
Maybe I am confused but don’t you mean shade D (root on 2nd string, fret 10) that is the more common way to see the D shape I believe rather than from the Root on string 4.
I think you did very well, nice and melodic. I did some CAGED on another online lesson site and that was really good bringing the system together with Minor.Major Pentatonic scales and then full Major and Minor, with practice pieces for each lesson.
@AJSki2fly Thank you very much. I know what you mean.
Well I hope I understand it right… if you have a look on chart bellow you can see there are 2 rootes in D shape. I am sharing pentatonic chart, but I am sure you can see only the shape, so you got root on 10th fret 4th string and 13th fret 2nd string. In my mind I take these two roots as homes I can go for and then I can connect to another shape.
This diagram is not key of A, but in the key of C, but I am sure you got the idea. Whole shape just move up and down changing keys.
Does it makes sense?
I find really interesting how I am making more solid this theory in my head when I am trying to explain it to someone else. Another magic.
Now there’s a good question. To wich i should answer: i don’t know.
I guess i am, looking at my barre chords. The shapes are definitly there.
But it “ends”, the moment i start playing 7th chords. (or i’m missing something.).
When i comes to solo’s, i use scales (pentatonic, major, minor). I never thought of, or the idea has never been mentioned before to use the caged system for solo’s.
It’s something that didn’t pop up before now.
@sclay Thank you for clarification. I am not that long into that and validation like this is moving me forward.
@GrytPipe Well… it really depends. CAGED is just one of many ways to map fretboard. I can see many guys are mapping fretboard through triads… and I can already see they comes from CAGED too, because everything is connected. Before exploring pentatonics and something further… I went through chord tones, so you just pick roots, 3rds and 5ths out of the chord shape (tones).
The most common bare shape is E shape, this is how we learn F chord after playing open chords… and rest is just playing that “open” variant, but you have to use some fingers as nut to me it up from open position. For example G shape is not that comfortable to play at all… but it has its own value when it comes to connect notes.
I am pretty sure you are using CAGED and you dont know it yet… I did it. Now it is just clicking.
Another good concept to mix here is 3:2 system, maybe you could check it out.
Yes, but originally you were referring to the A Major chord in the different shapes, and I believe CAGED is all about the different chord shapes moved up and down the neck with the Roots as the actor points for each, key/pattern. Any Major chord is made up from the R, 3rd and 5th notes from the Major scale, so in this instance referring to the D shape to form the A Major chord, where the Root is shifted up from the Nut from fret 3 str 2 to fret 10 (A) you have the D shape with 5th on 1st str and 3rd on 3rd both at fret 9. this is commonly know as a Major Triad. In the same pattern in yellow you have another A Chord (Triad) 3rd on 9th fr str 6, 5th on 7th fr str 5 and root on 4th str fret 7. There is another major Triad using strings 3, 4 & 5 in the yellow pattern.
@AJSki2fly I think I understand now, but more like around 80%. I think you can see here better relationship than me, because I did not bump into learning triads yet. I can understand that only D shape without that 4th string is triad and is much more common to use. Only mess it makes for me is it is like 5th, root and 3rd, so the order is mixed and I dont know this… even tho I know it exists.
You’re on the right track Michal when using the CAGED System the Root for the D shape is on the D string. Don’t let Adrian mess with what you’re learning.
He’s talking about D shaped triads not CAGED.
Learning your chord shapes first all over the neck is a better way to learn for 3 reasons.
You’re learning the CAGED System
You’re also learning triads on all string combomation not just the e B and G string.
As you mentioned you’re add the pentatonic shapes around each chord shape. Later on you’ll discover you can also add the notes from the Major scale and Natural minor scale.
Well done Michal, a promising methodology. I must admit I can’t contribute much to the conversation. It was tying my brain cells up in knots trying to follow your logic. I got as far as verifying that the notes in the chord shapes contained the 1, 3, 5 chord tones of an A chord played with the E, D, C open chord shapes, but that was about it.
Oh cool, thats a neat way to go about it. Sounds nice.
Good to see you posting
Edit
The D shape is trippy and a tough one to hold as a chord. I was working the D shaped chord using a progession of root and 3rds in the key of C most of them were using the 5 string root notes. Suddenly there was a 4th string root with 3rd on the e string, it sounded so nice. Of course it was the D note on that 4th string.
Sounding great Michal - incorporating the slides/hammer ons/pull offs very nicely - they make a huge difference. The phrase at about 1:00 sounds awesome - you could repeat that!
@twistor59 Thank you! That is pretty interesting, because this phrase seems like I did not make it short enough, so its chopped to parts over the fourth beat… but somehow I like it too.
