Free printable PDF

Printable CAGED System Chart

The CAGED system shows how the five open chord shapes (C, A, G, E and D) connect up the neck. Play the same chord in five places and the fretboard stops being a mystery. This chart shows all five shapes of C and a map of where they sit.

1 page
Portrait
Intermediate
US Letter / A4
PDF, 96 KB

Download free PDF Print

Free. Enter your name and email once to unlock all 80 printables.Unlocked on this device: downloads start straight away.

Preview of the CAGED System Chart — Page 1 preview

What’s inside

The five CAGED shapes of C, with fingerings
A full-neck map of every C, E and G note
How to move the system to any chord

How to use it

Download the PDF and print it at 100% scale on US Letter or A4.
Pick two or three chords to learn this week and leave the rest for later.
Place your fingers using the numbers in the dots, then strum one string at a time to check each note rings.
Keep the sheet on your music stand or wall where you practice.

Learn it step by step, free

Fretwork turns sheets like this into short daily lessons with audio, a play-along and a quick check for every skill. Stages 0 and 1 are free.

Start free, no card needed

Questions

What is the CAGED system?

A way of seeing the fretboard through five familiar open chord shapes. Each shape links to the next one up the neck, and together they cover every fret.

Do I need to learn CAGED?

Not to play songs. It becomes useful when you want to play chords higher up the neck, find notes for solos, or understand how scales and chords connect.

Is this printable really free?

Yes. Enter your first name and email once and every Fretwork printable unlocks on your device. There is nothing to pay and no card needed.

Can I share it with students or friends?

Yes, for personal and classroom use. Please share the link to this page rather than the PDF file, so everyone gets the latest version.