MILLPAD guitar modes fingering and CAGED system

MILLPAD System

MILLPAD guitar modes fingering and CAGED system

We already described the MILLPAD table and the MILLPAD fingering shapes with root note on string 6.

Using MILLPAD table you can also easly find all the CAGED position major scales horizontally on the neck.

CAGED system

The CAGED positions are based on the shapes of the open-string chords in horizontal sequence on the neck. First you find the C shape, then A shape, and so on with G, E and D shapes.

You may be wondering why CAGED shapes are exactly 5: the answare is that there is one chord shape for the root note on each different guitar string; because we have two E strings (strings 6 and 1), the result is that we can find root notes on 5 different positions:

• Chord Shape C = root note on string 2 (B)
• Chord Shape A = root note on string 5 (A)
• Chord Shape G = root note on string 3 (G)
• Chord Shape E = root note on string 6 (E) and 1 (e)
• Chord Shape D = root note on string 4 (D)

                   C       A       G           E       D           C
              ---|------------------------------------------------------------
  String 1 (e)   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | R |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   
  String 2 (B)   | R |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | R |   |   |   
  String 3 (G)   |   |   |   |   | R |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   
  String 4 (D)   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | R |   |   |   |   |   |   
  String 5 (A)   |   |   | R |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   
  String 6 (E)   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | R |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   
              ---|------------------------------------------------------------
  Fret                     3       5       7       9           12         15

As you can see, in this perspective it would be better named BAGED system, but the open strings chord shape with root note on string 2 is the C chord shape and so the name given to the system is CAGED.

Ionian scale in all CAGED positions

                                Ionian
                                  ^
  Root notes:     G C F B E A D G C F B E A D
  --------------------------------^----------
  Modes:          M I L L P A D M I L L P A D
  Fingering Seq.: 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 1 2 2
  --------------------------------^----------  | Mode fingering (start note on string 6)
  C shape strings:        E A D G B e          | Phrygian   (E)
  A shape strings:              E A D G B e    | Mixolydian (G) 
  G shape strings:          E A D G B e        | Aeolian    (A)
  E shape strings:                E A D G B e  | Ionian     (C)
  D shape strings:            E A D G B e      | Dorian     (D)
  --------------------------------^----------  |
  
  Shapes:        C A G E D
  Modes:         P M A I D
  Start str. 6:  E G A C D

C shape = Phrygian (E)

  Mode:     M I L L P A D M I L L P A D
  Fingering Seq.:   1 2 2 0 0 0
  Strings:          E A D G B e
  
                   C       A       G           E       D           C
              ---|------------------------------------------------------------
  String 1 (e)   | o |   | o |   | o |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 0
  String 2 (B)   | R |   | o |   | o |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 0
  String 3 (G) o |   | o |   | o |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 0
  String 4 (D) o |   | o | o |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 2
  String 5 (A) o |   | o | R |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 2
  String 6 (E) o | o |   | o |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 1
              ---|------------------------------------------------------------
  Fret                     3       5       7       9           12         15
  Start note  (E)

A shape = Mixolydian (G)

  Mode:             M I L L P A D M I L L P A D
  Fingering Seq.:   0 0 0 1 1 2
  Strings:          E A D G B e
  
                   C       A       G           E       D           C
              ---|------------------------------------------------------------
  String 1 (e)   |   |   |   |   | o |   | o | o |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 2
  String 2 (B)   |   |   |   |   | o | o |   | o |   |   |   |   | R |   |   |   Fingering Type 1
  String 3 (G)   |   |   |   | o | R |   | o |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 1
  String 4 (D)   |   |   | o |   | o |   | o |   |   | R |   |   |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 0
  String 5 (A)   |   |   | R |   | o |   | o |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 0
  String 6 (E)   |   |   | o |   | o |   | o |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 0
              ---|------------------------------------------------------------
  Fret                     3       5       7       9           12         15
  Start note              (G)

G shape = Aeolian (A)

  Mode:   M I L L P A D M I L L P A D
  Fingering Seq.:   2 2 0 0 0 1
  Strings:          E A D G B e
  
                   C       A       G           E       D           C
              ---|------------------------------------------------------------
  String 1 (e)   |   |   |   |   |   |   | o | R |   | o |   |   |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 1
  String 2 (B)   |   |   |   |   |   | o |   | o |   | o |   |   |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 0
  String 3 (G)   |   |   |   |   | R |   | o |   | o |   |   |   |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 0
  String 4 (D)   |   |   |   |   | o |   | o |   | o |   |   |   |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 0
  String 5 (A)   |   |   |   |   | o |   | o | o |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 2
  String 6 (E)   |   |   |   |   | o |   | o | R |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 2
              ---|------------------------------------------------------------
  Fret                     3       5       7       9           12         15
  Start note                      (A)

E shape = Ionian (C)

  Mode:           M I L L P A D M I L L P A D
  Fingering Seq.:   0 0 1 1 2 2
  Strings:          E A D G B e
  
                   C       A       G           E       D           C
              ---|------------------------------------------------------------
  String 1 (e)   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | o |   | o | o |   |   |   Fingering Type 2
  String 2 (B)   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | o |   | o | R |   |   |   Fingering Type 2
  String 3 (G)   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | o | o |   | o |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 1
  String 4 (D)   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | o | R |   | o |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 1
  String 5 (A)   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | o |   | o |   | o |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 0
  String 6 (E)   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | R |   | o |   | o |   |   |   |   Fingering Type 0
              ---|------------------------------------------------------------
  Fret                     3       5       7       9           12         15
  Start note                                  (C)

D shape = Dorian (D)

                   C       A       G           E       D           C
              ---|------------------------------------------------------------
  String 1 (e)   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | o | o |   | o |   Fingering Type 1
  String 2 (B)   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | o | R |   | o |   Fingering Type 1
  String 3 (G)   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | o |   | o |   | o |   |   Fingering Type 0
  String 4 (D)   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | R |   | o |   | o |   |   Fingering Type 0
  String 5 (A)   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | o |   | o |   | o |   |   Fingering Type 0
  String 6 (E)   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | o |   | o | o |   |   |   Fingering Type 2
              ---|------------------------------------------------------------
  Fret                     3       5       7       9           12         15
  Start note                                          (D)

E shape = Ionian (C) and A shape = Mixolydian (G) are enough to cover almost all the neck.