I was looking at my old Fretboard Logic guitar book tonight, and thinking about the whole CAGED approach, and how you would apply a similar concept to the mandolin.
We have an open G that can be played GDB starting from the fourth string.
Move it down one string and we have open D with DAF# starting from the third string.
We have open A played C#EA starting from the fourth string.
Move it down one string and it is E played EC#A
We have C that can be played GEC starting from the fourth string.
Move it down one string and it is G played DCG
Finally, we have D# that can be played GD#A# starting from the fourth string.
Move it down one string and it is F played DA#F
All of these chords can be moved up the neck by shifting your fingers and using your first finger to play the open note. (A stretch, though, on that second pair of voicings)
So, is that it? Are these eight chords (or four pairs of voicings) the mandolin equivalent of the CAGED chords on guitar? Does it work the same way with mandolin scales and the CAGED guitar scales? Is there a better way to organize one's thinking about mandolin chords?
Oddly, I haven't seen it explained quite this way, and I am a mandolin book addict.
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