CAGED Major Shapes

Curriculum Context

Subject: Music
Year Level: 13
Curriculum Area: The Arts – Music
Curriculum Level: NCEA Level 3
Big Idea: Music is an expression of, and a way of connecting with, culture, identity, place, and time.
Key Competencies: Thinking, Using language, symbols, and texts, and Managing self

Lesson Overview

This is Lesson 2 of 20 in the CAGED Guitar Mastery unit. In this session, the student will explore the five major chord shapes that form the foundation of the CAGED system. The CAGED method is an essential framework for navigating the guitar fretboard, supporting both chordal and lead playing by helping students understand moveable shapes and their relationship to scales.

By the end of this 30-minute lesson, the student will be able to:

• Identify the five major chord shapes in the CAGED system.
• Demonstrate each shape on their guitar.
• Recognise how these shapes interconnect across the fretboard.

Since this is an individual lesson, the teaching approach will be highly interactive, student-led, and kinaesthetic, ensuring deep engagement with the material.

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Lesson Timing & Activities

1. Tuning and Warm-up (5 mins)

Objective: To prepare the guitar and hands for playing.

• Student tunes their guitar using either an electronic tuner or ear training (if confident).
• Finger Dexterity Exercise: The student plays a 1-3-2-4 finger exercise up and down the fretboard.
• Quick Chord Recognition Quiz: The teacher calls out a major chord name (C, A, G, E, or D), and the student plays it in the open position as quickly as possible.
• Reflection Question: Can you already recognise which of these chords belong to the CAGED system?

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2. Breaking Down the CAGED Shapes (15 mins)

Objective: To explore the structure and placement of each chord shape.

• The student is introduced to the C, A, G, E, and D Major shapes in open position.
• Visual & Practical Connection: The teacher explains how these five positions form the backbone of moveable chord shapes across the fretboard.
• Shape-by-Shape Breakdown:
  1. Student plays the C major open chord. The teacher highlights the root note.
  2. Student plays the A major open chord, noting the difference in shape.
  3. Student plays the G major open chord, looking at how the shape differs.
  4. Student plays the E major open chord, recognising its barre chord importance.
  5. Student plays the D major open chord, spotting its unique pattern.
• Pattern Recognition:
  • The student draws each chord shape in their notebook.
  • They circle common notes between adjacent shapes.
  • They trace their fingers along the fretboard to "feel" how the shapes connect.
• Key Discussion Question: Why do you think these five specific shapes are the foundation of many guitar techniques?

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3. Connecting the Shapes (5 mins)

Objective: To begin understanding how the shapes link together across the fretboard.

• The teacher demonstrates how an open C shape moves up the neck to form a D-shape inversion elsewhere.
• The student attempts to shift a C major chord shape up the neck to form a G major barre chord.
• Challenge Task: The student finds the C major chord using three different shapes across the fretboard.
• Reflection Task: Discuss how these five shapes can be expanded into barre chords and scales.

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4. Performance Challenge & Debrief (5 mins)

Objective: To reinforce learning through an applied challenge and reflection.

• Rapid Fire Chord Test: The teacher calls out CAGED chords in a random order, and the student plays them without hesitation.
• The student teaches one major shape back to the teacher, explaining its structure and application.
• Reflection Journal: The student writes one sentence for each CAGED shape, describing its strengths and limitations.

Exit Question: Which of the five shapes do you find most comfortable to play, and why?

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Assessment & Follow-up

• Formative Feedback: The teacher observes accuracy, speed, and confidence in playing the CAGED shapes throughout the lesson.
• Homework Task: The student records a 30-second video demonstrating each of the five shapes in sequence, linking one to the next.
• Next Lesson Preview: The student will apply the CAGED system to moveable barre chords and improvisation.

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Teacher Notes & Adaptations

• If the student struggles with hand positioning, the teacher may introduce hand stretching exercises before the lesson.
• For students who already grasp the basics of CAGED, introduce an improvisation challenge using major scales mapped around these chord shapes.
• If the student prefers visual learning, make use of fretboard diagrams or mapping exercises on a blank guitar neck printout.

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Final Thought for Educators

This highly kinaesthetic lesson ensures the student actively engages with the CAGED method, rather than simply memorising theoretical concepts. By the end of the lesson, they should feel the connection between these five fundamental shapes, setting a strong foundation for freedom across the fretboard.

The real success of this lesson is not just in playing the five shapes, but in the student understanding how they interconnect—a skill that will empower their future playing! 🎸