I feel CAGED!!! - Guitar chords

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: Cappuccino
Date: 11 Dec 01 - 10:34 AM

McGrath and John make good points about strings left open even when you're fingering way up the neck... John Denver used a kind of 'acoustic power chord' to good effect this way. And I've always been fascinated by something that Leonard Cohen did on his first album - he played a C shape, without a barre, at (I think) the third or fourth, followed by an Am shape at (I think) the fourth. All other strings left open... really good effect.

- Ian B

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: John Hardly
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 02:33 PM

not to be too pedantic......aw hell, yes I am, but here goes anyway...

To extend the principle into even greater use and meaning----one point of the CAGED system is that every chord is derivative of those 5 chord shapes. In some cases one must barre, but in many cases thes "moveble chords" become another voicing or inversion as an open string naturally substitutes for one that might have been stopped in another position on the neck.

It's also a valuable tool for learning the interrelatedness of chords-----the almost endless ways to vary I IV V.

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 12:38 PM

Margo, learn to love your CAGE(D) T'will give you freedom at the end of your sentence!

Rick

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: 53
Date: 10 Dec 01 - 12:32 PM

ok. BOB

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 11:24 PM

That's true, Bob, but the idea is not necessarily to play full barre chords all the way up the neck. It's really an exercise in learning where the notes of each chord are at different positions on the fingerboard. Then if, say, you want to play a Bm and you happen to be midway up the neck, you can use the CAGED method to find the closest B chord (the "normal" B is in A position, so the next would be G, then E...), change that E form to an Em (in other words, flat the third), and away you go!

Once you get this, the next step is to learn which open strings are part of the chord--so you can let them ring to get those cool sounds Kevin was talking about--and which ones are not part of the chord, so you can mute them and start playing those cool jazz and swing chords.

Of course, this song will tell you what kind of a guitar player I am!

Now if you'll excuse me, Leo Kottke is playing tonight. In Hilo! And I have a ticket!

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: 53
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 08:46 PM

seems to me that this system works a little better on the electric guitar unless you have a finely set acoustic that won't kill your fingers as you work your way up the neck. BOB

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: 53
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 08:43 PM

I'VE USED THOSE CHORD FORMS BEFORE BUT I'VE NEVER KNOWN THAT IT WAS CALLED CAGED. THANKS FOR THE INFO BOB

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: Hilary
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 07:46 PM

ER ...a bit confused, although I think I get the gist. It's too late to inflict twanging on others, but definitely try it out tomorrow. I really like the idea of adding the overtones, & my guitar sounds really good played towards the bridge end of the neck (up/down ?) Brilliant thread idea. . H

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: WyoWoman
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 07:43 PM

Oh.YOu have to BARRE.

Nivver mind ...

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 07:06 PM

No, I don't know George, but I remember Tom Hodge once telling me that Paul had taught him the CAGED system. The basics are, as I recall, something like this:

Start, say, with a C chord. The highest fret you are fingering is the third fret. Make a barre at that fret, and then make the chord form that's next in the C-A-G-E-D sequence, in other words, an A chord form: you've just made a C chord again. Now barre the 5th fret and make the G form--again, it's a C chord. Same way up the neck, each time making the same chord in a different position.

If you start with G, say, you would barre the third fret and make the E chord form--voila, a G chord again, the usual "barre G". Barre (or half-barre) the 5th and make the D position, and you have a G chord again. The point of the C-A-G-E-D mnemonic is to remind you of which chord form will get you the chord you want at which place on the neck.

Of course, I'm nowhere near being a good enough guitarist to make much use of this system...but at least this should clarify how it works for those who are. Or else it has gotten everybody thoroughly confused!

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: Margo
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 06:09 PM

No Mark. It's George Chudacoff. Know him? He's a long time Portland/Vancouverite! Margo

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 04:12 PM

Margo, your teacher wouldn't be Paul Chasman, would he?

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: death by whisky
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 03:37 PM

Strange isnt it.Ive played for years without a capo and decided to use one today.No particular reason.Now there's a co-incidence.New strings and all. Ralph denyers complete guitar handbook has all the diagrams ie in three positions.Its got lots of other good stuff as well. I think what might be handy would be a room where we can teach eachother the kind of methods mentioned above.

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: Teresa
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 03:27 PM

It's really neat to do this while jamming with other folks. If there's more than one guitar, and you're all playing in different positions, you get a really rich sound with lots of neat overtones.

Teresa

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 03:18 PM

On fun thing is to note which strings you can play open, when you're doing the chords down in the first position.

Then, when you play some other shape up the neck to make the same chord, you adjust your fingering, by leaving the strings that you wouldn't finger in base position still unfingered. You get some interesting sounds that way. I don't know what you'd call the resulting chords, mind you.

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: Justa Picker
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 03:02 PM

Although Brother Fielding has mentioned it in the past, it bears repeating again because it is just such excellent advice. Learn to play all the chords in your arsenal in at least 3 different positions on the neck - without a capo. First/second fret area; middle neck 4-6 frets up) and also around the 9th-11th fret. Invaluable and extremely handy!!!

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: WyoWoman
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 01:32 PM

Hmmm. Say more ...

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: Margo
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 12:40 PM

Without!!!

Subject: RE: I feel CAGED!!!
From: rangeroger
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 02:03 AM

Is the change in positions done with or without a capo?

rr

Subject: I feel CAGED!!!
From: Margo
Date: 09 Dec 01 - 01:32 AM

Inspired by Rick's Faggggedaboudit! thread, Here is something I'm very excited about having learned. It is particular to guitar (perhaps otherwise applicable or adaptable?) and my teacher calls it the Caged method.

You can play a chord, say for example a G. Then you can play a G chord in a C fingering but in another place on the neck. You can also play a G chord using the A, E, and D fingerings but respectivly in different places on the neck.

It opens up a world of possibilities when you're figuring out variations or just figuring out melodies. My apologies if this has already been covered. I hate beating a dead horse... :o) Margo