How to play along with LOUD guitarists at folk sessions... PART 1 - CAGED progressions

I’m finally back with another tutorial! This will be a two-parter, showing you how you can play over the top of LOUD guitarists in sessions while still being heard and adding something interesting to the overall sound. In this part we’ll be looking at how the CAGED system can be used to quickly find alternative chord voicings higher up the fretboard. I’ll also be showing you how you can take those and use them to quickly find the three main chords for popular major keys. In part two, I’ll be looking at some more advanced tips and tricks which will enable you to add substitutions and cover tunes in minor keys and the mixolydian mode.

My upcoming harp and guitar Zoom accompaniment workshop with Tiffany Schaefer is coming up very soon, on July 13th 2025! Click here to find out more and book your spot!

The PREVIOUS workshop can be watched back by clicking here.

Check out The Guitarist’s Guide to Chord Inversions for quick gateways to all sorts of crazy chord voicings right across the fretboard!

If you're just starting out in the world of Celtic backing guitar, my books can help! They cover everything you need to know about theory, structure, rhythms, chords, fingerstyle and much more... Check them all out here

If you'd like to learn how to play by ear then there's really no substitute for an experienced professional teacher. Click here to book your free trial lesson today!

If you would like a complete guide to folk backing on the guitar then you really need my book Backing Guitar Techniques For Traditional Celtic Music, which tells you all the music theory, strumming patterns, chord shapes and everything else you need to become a great backing guitarist and
My invention The Amazing Mode Wheel can show you all the notes and chords which fit in any scale used in Celtic music.

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