CAGED Scale Positions
The same 5 chord shapes you already know — C, A, G, E, D — also outline 5 scale positions. Learn to see them together and you'll always know where you are on the neck.
From chord shapes to scale shapes
The CAGED system starts from 5 familiar open chords — C, A, G, E, and D — each of which can be moved up the neck as a barre chord while keeping the same relative shape. The insight that makes CAGED so useful for lead playing is this: the scale notes surrounding each of those 5 shapes also form a fixed, repeatable pattern. Learn one shape's chord and its scale together, and you've learned a complete, moveable position.
Why bother connecting chords and scales?
Without CAGED, a scale position is just an abstract box of dots on the neck. With it, every scale position is anchored to a chord shape you can already picture — so when you're soloing over a G chord played in "E-shape" position, you instantly know the matching scale notes are arranged around that same barre shape, not somewhere unrelated.
Common questions
What does CAGED stand for?
The 5 open chord shapes — C, A, G, E, D — that can each be moved up the neck as barre chords, also outlining 5 scale positions.
How does CAGED connect chords and scales?
Every CAGED chord shape sits inside a matching scale pattern, so knowing the chord shape tells you where the scale notes are.
Is the CAGED system the same as the 5 pentatonic boxes?
Closely related but not identical — CAGED explicitly ties each shape to an open chord fingering, which some players find easier to visualize.
Do the 5 CAGED positions cover the whole neck?
Yes — in the order C-A-G-E-D, the 5 shapes overlap to cover a full octave, then the cycle repeats.
See CAGED shapes light up in real time
Melody Monkey overlays chord shapes and scale positions together on a live fretboard for any key.
Open the chord & scale library →Still stuck? Ask Your Personal Music Teacher about CAGED Scale Positions →