C-A-G-E-D and Diagonal Pentatonic Scales

C-A-G-E-D and Diagonal Pentatonic Scales
There is a lot of discussion about the glory of the CAGED system. Well, sure, I
wish I knew or was taught it 40 years ago when I started playing!
This is how I learned it:
1
Maybe I was a dumb kid (and so were my friends) but NOBODY bothered to
tell us this:
 Position 1 covers (=) A and G chords

 Position 2 = G and E chords
 Position 3 = E and D chords
 Position 4 = D and C chords
 Position 5 = C and A chords
The CAGED system is a great system for mapping chord patterns to

pentatonic scales. I would say the BEST! (others would not and for some
good reasons). Each pattern covers a chord in the notes on the fret row below
and above. [to this day, though, I actually think of CAGED as either AGED-C
stating with the A shape with root on 5th string; or ED-CAG starting with
the E shape – root on 6th string – I’m a folk rock guitarist, I usually go
hunting for the E 6th or the A 5th positions first and the D 4th position third
DC-AGE )
If you look closely at the patterns below you will see the chords C, A, G, E, D.
Further, to make the scale pattern boxes, the C shape is bounded by a D
chord in that key and the C chord. The A shape is bounded by a C chord and
an A chord
2
3

HOWEVER, I ONLY use the CAGED system it when playing

pentatonic scales! [and only when I feel like playing in horizontal or three
chord boxes]
Yes, my brain cannot improvise and remember the major scale and
all of its modes (not to mention minor modes) with the CAGED system.
For major and minor modes I use the 3 note per string system and it’s
diagonal variants. Or I do the two string octave system for quick riffs.
Of course, I DO put in passing and blues notes which belong to the major and
minor scales into CAGED. Often though, that comes from muscle memory
after having learned and practiced the three note per string. I do present the
major modes with CAGED in another section of this site. But only in passing.
Here are the pentatonic CAGED positions you SHOULD learn and practice.
4
5
Fretboard Theory 1 by Desi Serna is a great resource devoted entirely to
learning the pentatonic system with CAGED.
Another way to play Pentatonic Scales – ROOT DIAGONALS
Once you learn the sound of the pentanonic scales, you really need to learn the
diagonal scale system by learning how the root notes create repeating
patterns up the neck every two strings (note the 1 fret upward shift on
the B string).
There are the two basic octave patterns to learn:
Then you can go and put them together (and soon find out they are the same
scale with different starting points – see below). In fact, look how the major
pentatonic pattern that starts on the E string above left is basically the exact
same pattern if you started on the A string in the minor box above (on the
right).
 Root 6 = E shape
 Root 5 = A shape
 Root 4 (on the 4th string) = D shape
 Root 3 (on the 3rd string) = C shape
6
G Major Pentatonic, Root 6
C Major Pentatonic, Root 5
A Minor Pentatonic, Root 6
E Minor Pentatonic, Root 5
7
Minor and Major Pentatonic scale differences
You might be wondering the difference between the major and minor
pentatonic scales. Pattern wise there is NONE. The pentatonic diagonal scale
is this one.
Well it all depends on where you start the pattern. If you look at the E minor
pentatonic above, the pattern starts on the 3rd of the major scale of E.
However the Major G pentatonic scale pattern is the exact same pattern in
the same fret position. However, it starts on the tonic (1st note) of the scale of
G.
So basically, as with major scales, the minor pentatonic scale is the relative 6th
minor of the Major pentatonic scale. To make it easy, I just count on my
fingers.
Finger one is the key of the major pentatonic (say G) and the 3rd finger is Em.
So if I play an Em Pentatonic I am playing Gmaj pentatonic. It’s the same
scale. That is not very useful. However if I play that pentatonic scale over an
Em chord progression, then things get interesting. If I play that third fret
pattern over an E major chord progression, I get bluesy (that is playing an Em
pentatonic over an E major scale – legal for blue progressions only)
The cheap and “dirty” way which ignores thinking about theory but good in a
noisy bar is this:
8
The minor pentatonic scale of a
key can be found and played in
the same pattern 3 frets below the
major scale.
Comping with Pentatonic Scales

Now there is a OCEAN of online, magazine, and video lessons about how to
comp with Pentatonic Scales. They are a beautiful thing.
Guitar World summarizes the uses of pentatonics this way:
 Playing Over Minor Chords

 Playing Over Dominant Chords
 Playing in a Key
More detail:
 Playing over Major Chords

o Major pentatonic scale (example: use C Major Pentatonic over a C
Major Chord)
o Minor pentatonic scale for a “bluesy” sound (example: use C
Minor Pentatonic of a C Major Chord)
 Playing over Minor Chords
o Minor pentatonic scale (example: use A Minor Pentatonic of an A
Minor Chord)
9
 Playing over Dominant 7thChords
o Major pentatonic scale (example: use C Major Pentatonic over a
C7 chord)
o Minor pentatonic scale (example: use A Minor Pentatonic over an
A7 chord)
 Playing in a specific key
o Major Key: pentatonic major or pentatonic minor scale
o Minor Key: pentatonic minor scale
DONT STOP WITH PENTATONICS
If you only learn to play leads with pentatonics then you will NEVER be a
nuanced and advanced lead rock player, not a good heavy metal player; and
NEVER a jazz player. There are many more modes to come. Go to the
Lessons page.
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How does the CAGED system relate to pentatonic scales?

What are the differences between major and minor pentatonic scales?

C-A-G-E-D and Diagonal Pentatonic Scales

This is how I learned it:

 Position 1 covers (=) A and G chords

The CAGED system is a great system for mapping chord patterns to

HOWEVER, I ONLY use the CAGED system it when playing

Another way to play Pentatonic Scales – ROOT DIAGONALS

There are the two basic octave patterns to learn:

C Major Pentatonic, Root 5

A Minor Pentatonic, Root 6

E Minor Pentatonic, Root 5

Comping with Pentatonic Scales

Guitar World summarizes the uses of pentatonics this way:

 Playing Over Minor Chords

 Playing over Major Chords

DONT STOP WITH PENTATONICS

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