Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Part 4 – The CAGED System Series – The G Shape – 5 Ideas within the G Shape – Guitar Lesson – EP559

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, we’re continuing our series on The CAGED System. In this lesson we’ll be doing a deep dive into the G Shape and looking at the major and minor chords, scales, and apreggios you can play within this shape, as well as 5 useful ideas that are unique to this shape.

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Comments

  1. Brian says

    I fixed a mistake in the cheat sheet PDF regarding the B Maj 7 arpeggio. If you had previously downloaded the PDF file, you’ll need to refresh this page and redownload it for the updated version. I also removed that segment from the Part 1 video to prevent any confusion!

    • Ross H says

      it’s funny you mentioned the the hot rod lincoln lead part. i’ve been strictly a rythym guitar player for the last 35years. my brothers wanted me to learn hot rod lincoln, so over the christmas break 2 years back i went on you tube and learned it. i thought i was too old to start playing lead. i surprised my brothers with it at practice. i found your web site and started learning from you and the rest is history! thanks

    • William M says

      Wonderful series, I particularly enjoyed your focus on the G-Shape, explaining that it’s not only okay to play a partial of this extremely difficult G-Shape Barre Chord, but it is the proper way to approach it. Thank you! When I encountered the Caged System initially, I took it quite literally, that I was expected to play the full G chord all the way up the fret board. Very nice tie ins back to the A and E Shape versions of the B Chord. I found the references to Hendrix helpful as well, great lesson Brian.

  3. Mike R says

    I really love the entire series. Like the way that one shape leads into another. If you keep going with harmonized thirds up the neck past the E shape won’t you get to the D shape and more?
    These buckets are the best way I have found to remember the scales and arpeggios that go with the chord shapes. I have been trying to do it backwards, scale first, and have a more difficult time remembering what goes with what. Really like the bucket idea. Already looking forward to playing with this and the last one next week. Thanks

  4. Peter R says

    Thanks Brian, this is a great series of lessons. I realise while listening, that the licks are an important part for me to make the scales and chords come to life. It is being able to connect them to the scales and the CAGED positions I noticed which is crucial for my learning. So I appreciate the time you take to explain these in the videos.

  6. slopace says

    Brian, At first I didn’t think I really needed these individual lessons on what you could do from one position in the caged system but boy was I wrong.
    I am learning so much. What its doing for me is helping me when I play previous lessons, to make so much more since out of all of it. It’s amazing now how I can listen to your playing and almost know what your going to play next.
    You put SO much into every lesson. I don’t know how you do it week after week but you pull it off and I can’t thank you enough!

  13. Rob N says

    Hi Brian,

    Is that Major 7 arpeggio diagram inserted at 11.50 (and cheat sheet) correct?

    Playing the B maj7 version would place a flat 7th (A note) on the D string 7th fret and a flattened 3rd (D) on the G string 7th fret.

    Neither note belongs in a Bmaj7 chord (should be a A# and a D#).

    Am I reading that wrong?

  14. Michael H says

    Great series Brian
    As I play acoustic with 10-54 gauge the full bend on the G is unattainable.
    My work around is to slide on the G or hammer to at least hit the same notes.
    I mention this as an option for some of your beginner students that maybe missing out if they pass on the lesson because of the pedal steel type licks.

    Love all that you do

    • Guy H says

      This has definitely helped open up the fretboard for me. I’m hoping it leads to my being able to create my own leads in the future instead of just copying what you are doing. However, I think it’s going to take a while to absorb all of the information and lots of practice. Thanks for this series. It has been eye-opening for me.

  17. sciencefiction says

    Great lesson, Brian. In many of your previous lessons (i.e., EP346, which I practice all the time), I used to think the “G” shape of the CAGED system was no big deal and just the same as the “A” shape. Now I understand the nuanced differences much better. Your great Intro in the beginning with the Hendrix example was perfect for helping me to “get” this.

    By the way, I practice ML066 all the time because it has a cool sound to it to my ear. Would you say ML066 relies heavily on the “G” shape of CAGED?
    Thanks,
    Larry

    P.S. Would you also say ML066 also has a mixolydian vibe to it?

  18. Dennis D says

    These lessons have been great for me. I am at the point that I was practicing leads off the cage pattens & the connecting notes & working the scales. So this series has summarized all of that for me, given me points of reference and really helped me. Thank you.

  19. John S says

    With this series I’m starting to see the big picture and how it all connects. Each time I review these and practice the fretboard gets more recognizable and easier to play and understand.

    Thanks

  21. elerouge says

    You often mentionned the term lightbulb and i have to say that those lessons help me the most of all your lessons to integrated all the concept to understand the fretboard and the guitar music theory.

    The more impressive is the fact that all the essential theory is integrated and put where it goes in relation to each concept (scale, chord, arpegio…) For me this is a huge breakthrough!

    Thx for the great work!

  22. houliAK says

    This series really has me seeing the fret board in a new way. Processing the ideas into practice is slower than I’d like but I have the concepts and materials to keep referring back to as my journey continues. Thank you for taking the time to put this material together in such an organized, logical way and explaining it so clearly!

  24. Charles S says

    Once again Brian, you’ve brought us to the Mother Load, the Whole Shebang, the Real Real. Now to get it into my head-sub-conscious or conscious. I know you don’t want to break any copyrights on popular songs but are there examples out there that you can mention to say: See this is how they are using this thing. I know you’ve referred to Hendrix and Ritchards, BB King little snippets, but is more possible? Or maybe there are lesson books that do that already that you know of.

  25. AJ H says

    Great series! It would be good to learn more about the shared triads across the CAGED shapes and learn more about tips on how to transition between the shapes for chord progressions.

  26. Robert A says

    This series of lessons came at a great time for me.

    I did notice some typos:
    The B Major 7 Arpeggio has am additional minor 7th and minor 3rd.
    The B Dominant 7 Arpeggio has an extra minor 2nd.

    Way to keep me on my toes!

  28. Mark C says

    Hi, Brian.

    The genius of your teaching is not only that you break everything down and supply exactly the right teaching materials, which I know takes a lot of time, but even more so that you have an ear for pretty melodies. That is what attracted me to your courses several years ago. You know what sounds good probably better than anybody I hear who teaches online. Every solo is not only imaginative but lovely to hear. That’s a gift, and I’m glad that we are all able to benefit from it.

    Stay well, Mark

  29. daniel M says

    Since you started this series my mind has expanded considerably with a more in depth understanding of the guitar and music theory. I have also seen a significant improvement in playing technique with the continuous practice material you are providing. As always it is much appreciated, Thanks Brian.

  30. R S says

    Another great lesson packed with very useful riffs and suggestions to move around a chord in one position and to the same chord in another position AND to other chords.

    The more riff ideas to play on a chord and to transition to another chord the better and I appreciate it when you explain the interval theory behind the riff (bending to the major 3rd, or walking up from the 3rd to the 5th etc).

    It’s generally the focus of most of your lessons, which is incredibly helpful, but the lightbulbs keep going off every lesson so please keep it coming. I appreciate all the time and effort you put into these lessons Brian.

    Thank you for what you do for us!

  33. Will L says

    This series is exactly what I have been seeking for a while.
    The concepts are something that I understand quickly but will take a while to be absorbed.
    Meanwhile I can still soldier on with practicing ep555!

  34. Joseph C says

    Hey Brian, if you are comparing light-bulb-moments of learning, I could light up NYC with this series! Seriously, as you said in the intro video to this series – this is a missing piece in the CAGED lessons. It is awesome, albeit draining to cram all this material in my head.

    As such, I have created a couple of clues/tricks to help relate current knowledge to new learning.

    For the starting root notes; the E and G shapes start on the 6th string and the A and C shapes start on the 5th string. Both strings I can easily identify the note name on so this really helps me to have the starting point for the strings I am already familiar with.

    Secondly, I use a notation to remember what scale position (that I am already familiar with) to relate the CAGED patterns back to. For example the E Shape of the Major sits on pattern 2. So in my head I remember; Emajor2. Correspondingly for the minor I remember Eminor1.
    For the G shape it is position 1 of the major so Gmajor1 and Gminor5.

    This is all great, I have been loving this series.

    Thank you Thank you!!!

  37. Richard F says

    This series is extremely important to guitar players. You younger players, burn this into your brain and you’ll never be at a loss for what to play; you’ll simply KNOW the guitar and what it can do.

  40. Joe S says

    Very helpfull. connects a lot of what I know but never looked at how it‘s placed correctly the caged system. It will take some time to go through all that again and practice before it disappears somewhere in my brain.

  41. Joe S says

    would have prefered a rock or blues solo. I need to go back to your other lessons to see what you play there. if I think of G shape a lot of folk and country stuff comes to my mind but still you explained how hendrix is using it too

  42. Wade O says

    Good day all!
    Great lesson! How Brian described the connectivity from the “G Shape” to the A and E is a great takeaway! Also. pay attention to how we go from pedal steel to Hendrix in the same breath.

    Brians enthusiasm is infectious, and his ability to explain the licks and how they relate to the lesson is genius! Have you ever sat through a guitar lesson with an amazing guitarist and they just let the “horses run” and 30 minutes later they stop and say “now do you understand?”. You can see how Brian could “let the horses run” but he stops and explains what he is doing in bite sized pieces making it easy for us to learn. And that is quality of a great teacher!
    Enjoy the Music! Thx Wade

  43. Steven K says

    This Caged series is the challenge. that I needed. Like many of the other lessons, if i take it slow it will come to me. I thoroughly enjoy this series and learning new licks Thanks.

  44. Klaus G says

    You have done a great job with all those cheat shapes Brian
    And that is a lot for us to memorize
    Someone in a former Lesson, I think it was in E Shape, proposed to add the Nummber of the major Scale/Pentatonic-Pattern to the Shape:
    C4 A5 G1 E2 D3
    That is very helpfull to me
    And to remember quicker the Scales of the mixolydian and the minor scale of each shape, I have a little formular:
    Reduce the number of the shape 1 digit to get the scale for the minor mode: for C4 is Pattern 3 the minor scale
    Reduce another 1 Digit to get the Scale for the mixolydian mode: for C4 is Pattern 2 the mixolydian scale
    To confuse further you get with another reduction of 1 Digit the phrygian mode: for C4 is Pattern 1 the phrygian scale
    and with another reduction of 1 Digit you get the dorion mode: for C4 is pattern 5 the dorian scale
    if this littel memory cheat is helpful, perhaps you could make this in a form more underständing
    Sorry for the clumsy english
    greetings Klaus

  48. Andy D says

    These chord shape analyses are incredible, Brian. I’ve never seen things analysed this way – and connections made all over the place. Mind-boggling. A lifetime of stuff to study. Thanks SO much.

  50. Mark L says

    I play the acoustic guitar exclusively. In some of the progressions where you are doing a bend, not all, but in some cases find it somewhat difficult to perform on my medium strings, so I’ll replace it with a slide up 2 frets. And this would mainly on the full bends. And it works!

  51. Jeff B says

    Brian,
    I find this series, in your words, Super Helpful! I am a member of several guitar learning websites and find myself only using yours because of the clarity of your teaching style. Please continue to build on this series and thank you for all of your effort.

  52. Bruce A says

    This is 4 lightbulb lesson (for me – actually 4 distinct ‘OH YEA’s).
    Might be fun to add a ‘lightbulb’ rating (instead of stars) under the lesson to gauge the lesson relative popularity.
    I learn a lot from your solo analyses.

    Bruce A

  55. Jim M says

    Thank you for keeping this simple! I was able to get through this lesson in short order and now having fun moving around in other keys and adding the 5 chord. Well done sir!

  57. Paul A says

    Brian
    My goal this year is to learn the CAGED system. I really appreciate your continued emphasis on CAGED concepts and techniques. I feel like I am finally getting a glimpse into what it means to “know” the fretboard. Especially the linking concepts. Thanks for your help!

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