CAGED Soloing | I - iii Progression (1) • C Shape

@ 10:30 did we just get promoted to intermediate level? That was an unexpected promotion. Ill take it lol.

Joe Snuffy

The most important part of this series, that I *think* I made clearer in the NEW CAGED Soloing series, is that the open chords in a key become the template for the SHAPE of a key up the neck. In other words, if you play all the chords in the key of C in open position. C Dm Em F G Am B° - The relationship between those SHAPES will always apply up the neck. So if a C shape is your I chord, the ii chord shape will always be a Dm shape, the iii chord shape will always be an Em. This is all about the location of chord tones. How to create a solo has to do with writing melodies. And I did hammer those melody writing rules a lot in this series here that you've commented on. Before you can improvise a melody (solo) it's important to be able to write a melody. So start out writing melodies and practicing them using these CAGED Pentatonic shapes as a base and over time it will get easier to do it on the fly.

Scott Paul Johnson

Hey Phil - These concepts are huge. SO huge, that - after making this series - I realized I should probably back up and break things into smaller pieces. So for now, I'd recommend getting REALLY comfortable with CAGED Basics I and II (still in progress) and THEN check out NEW CAGED Soloing. The goal with these CAGED Soloing series is twofold: 1) to understand that making melodies over a chord progression involves targeting and emphasizing chord tones and 2) one way to look at this stuff on guitar specifically is to take a CAGED Pentatonic shape as a base and insert the chord tones as shapes over the top.

Scott Paul Johnson

Hi Scott, I haven't posted in a while as Ive been trying to get some clarity to all of this. I wish I could say Ive felt a lightbulb moment and it's now all clear but Im afraid it's not. My head is a but like a maggot infestation and not exactly clear as to where I'm going with it. I CAGED shapes but when I progressed to the 1-ii and now the 1-iii I am a bit lost. Do I memorise the A shape,C shape D shape Pentatonics ? Or the 1 chord overlays? Or the Pentatonic overlays? Or just play while reading the print outs and not memorise? Please help if you can cheers

Phil Butler

I guess one kind of 'easy' way to work it out that i did was to learn all of the notes on the 6th string (low E) and use that to find the root note for the "G" shape and transpose the rest of the CAGED pattern based on that starting point. That way to start with all you need to remember is the top string and the CAGED pattern. For the Major key anyway..

Stu M

Could you elaborate a bit for me? Thanks!

know idon

i just figure it out! for G shape key its always on the 6 string, C Shape its on the 5th string, E Shape its on the 4th string, A Shape its on the 3rd string, D Shape 2nd string !!!! This is amayo revelation for me after 25 years of playing guitar. If you share this information i think it will make more sense for people. Thanks for your help!

Orlando Vite

This is a good question, I have the same one.

Doreen Tran

Being someone who seemed to be constantly stuck in A Minor a while (lots of content seems to gravitate towards this), I'm happy to be switching up keys.

David Lawton

So in the key of A Maj the C shape starts at the 9th fret and in the key of D Maj the C shape starts at the 2nd fret. From what I understand, I need to know where the root (Of the I chord) is for each shape and then align it with whatever key we want to play. It seems like it's a big task for my memory, specially because not every chord has the root on the same string. Do you have a tip for quickly knowing where each shape is located for each key?

Jose Ramon Jimenez

Check out my latest MTM series about melody making! It's similar to this but it wil help you make things more interesting

Scott Paul Johnson

Thanks, I enjoyed your work. Look forward to more lessons on I-V, I-VI or maybe more melody phrasing idea and rules for progression with more than 2 chords

Hien Dt

Hi Hien. Sometimes you've gotta do something kind of boring so the concept sticks in your head. The more time you stick with it, the more you train your brain to hear it.

Scott Paul Johnson

yeah I do. But it took a lot of patience and stick with boring melody. I am feeling like I am repeating myself and have a hard time to make the melody become more interesting.

Hien Dt

Hi Hien! I'm glad you're having a good time with the I-iii progression. As for changing the key, because these concepts are transposable, I wanted to display them in different keys to show that even though you're playing C A G E D shapes, they don't have to stay in one place on the neck. Are you having fun learning these?

Scott Paul Johnson

Hi Scott, why did you not start with I-III first instead of I-II, it's much easier to begin with. And why not keeping the A major for all of your CAGED solo system to master one key first. Thanks

Hien Dt

Yes! That’s it

Scott Paul Johnson

So, if you slide up or down the C form and change the root can I always use the 'I' as a reference? and also the same with "ii" as a reference for the correct notes for that specific key?

Randall Brown

It’s there! Attached to the very first I - ii G Shape lesson

Scott Paul Johnson

Joe Fodor

That's great Alexander ,thanks for that

Andy D

Hi Andy, It was already answered elsewhere, Scott uses Korg microKEY keyboard. Hope it helps!

Alexander

Just curious ,what type of keyboard you have on desk in video

Andy D

Donnie - that question makes a lot of sense. I might have to explain that in a bigger context in a future video, but I will!

Scott Paul Johnson

Hey scott, could you expand more on the chromatic walk you did from F# -> A I want to know if theres something else to take into consideration when trying to play chromatic runs like that over the caged system. Because I know that G and G# aren't in the scale so it just a matter of style? i hope that made sense

Donnie Bigler

This is great ! So one thing that I'm leaning with the I - iii progression is that I actually only need to know the I chord shape and the root notes for the 5 pentatonic shapes to solo over I - iii progressions. By using the fact that the iii chord difference to the i chord is only the root note swapped with the 7th note so one fret (half step) lower than the root note on the guitar. Now when soloing I can use the "same" shape for the iii chord as for the I chord only now using the 7th note instead of the root note. I hope my attempt to explain this makes sense.

Steven Z

Uploading right now!

Scott Paul Johnson

I use "GoodNotes"

Scott Paul Johnson

Hi Scott! What app do you use on your iPad to make these notes? I want to use the same to practice on the scratch paper 😊

Arne Vanhaecke

Hi Scott, Can i take you up on the offer of the A Major I ii track mp3 file please?

Darren

That's funny. I was just wondering the same thing when they magically changed.

kent tomaselli

😅

Brody

fixed! Thanks for catching that

Scott Paul Johnson

ooooooops

Scott Paul Johnson

Hey Scott, I'm curious if you meant to post the i - ii chord sheets here, or if you meant to post the i - iii pdfs?

Brody