Let's delve a bit deeper into what's happening with the CAGED system. We can begin by comparing the E and G shapes. You learned the intervallic relationships between them, so let's understand the differences and similarities. For the E shape, your main reference is the root on the low E string.

All your fingers are laid out higher on the fretboard, towards the pickup (right if you're right handed) of where your root is. If you passed the quiz in the previous section, you now know, the voicing is:

For the G shape, the root is also on the low E string, but your fingers are laid out towards the neck (to the left for right-handed guitarists). This means if you pick a root on the low E string, such as an A, the layout of your fingers for the E and G shapes will be distinctly different, emphasising the unique finger positioning required for each shape, even when the root note is the same. The voicing for the G shape is:

So, you can see two different options that stem from the same root on the low E string that lead to different note combinations; offering a different sound.

We're already beginning to see some connections between these CAGED shapes. Connections that weren't necessarily obvious when you played these shapes in their open form. The G major shape and the E major shape are connected. They are symmetrical shapes if you consider the axis of where the root is.

The A and C Shape

Do you remember earlier when I said that all CAGED shapes follow a similar intervallic pattern? Now comes the "aha" moment.

An A shape is essentially an E shape moved up the strings and a C shape is essentially a G shape moved up the strings.

That means if you take the root from the E string and move it to the A string. The intervallic relationship is the same.

The reason the shapes look different is because you encounter the B string at a different spot in the shape. Wherever you hit that B string, you'll need to move the note in that position up a half step to preserve the chord type. It may sound simple, but once you realise how the B string impacts shapes—not just with chords, but with scales and arpeggios—it all falls into place.

Since it's essentially just the E shape, the voicing is the same. 

Once again, a C shape is essentially just an G shape that you're moving up the strings.

By doing this, you're encountering the B string again and if you make the same adjustment, you maintain the intended chord intervals of

The C-shape and the A-shape are related in the exact same way that the G-shape and the E-shape are related. If you look at an A-shape and draw an axis where the root is, all your fingers are on the right over here, or higher towards the bridge. And on the C-shape, all your fingers are on the left or towards the neck, if you drew an axis over here. So, those are the sister shapes equivalent to the E-shape and the G-shape.

Before we move on to the final CAGED shape, think about how cool this is. In Lesson 1, you learned about the intervallic relationships between E and G, and now you've used that knowledge to understand two more shapes.

Consider what this means: with movable shapes, you can play C major in four positions across the guitar. You know where you are intervallically, so you can start picking notes or soloing confidently. You can look at the fretboard and choose to play a root, 3rd, or 5th without guessing.

While knowing the names of the notes is a bonus, the most important thing in music is the relationship between tension and release. This framework gives you a solid foundation for utilising that.

The D Shape

Now, finally, let's talk about the D-shape. The good news is it's the same concept as outlined above. If you take an A-shape and move it up the strings so your root is on the D string, the note on the B string will no longer be accurate. You'll need to move it up a half step. Boom, you have a D-shape. When you take a D-shape off the fretboard, it'll look like this.

You won't use all the shapes equally, but you need to know them. The voicing of a D-shape, like the E and A shapes is: