The CAGED system — 5 shapes for any chord

Concept

Every major chord can be played in 5 movable shapes derived from the open chords C, A, G, E, D. As you move up the neck, each shape cycles in that order. So a C major chord becomes the A-shape barre at fret 3, the G-shape at fret 5, the E-shape barre at fret 8, the D-shape at fret 10, then back to the C-shape at fret 12.