CAGED sounds like a mnemonic, and it is — but it's really a map of the five open chord shapes, moved up the neck. Here's the lightbulb moment.

The five shapes

C, A, G, E, and D — the five open chords every beginner learns. Each one, moved up with a barre, becomes a moveable shape for any chord.

Why it clicked

The neck isn't random. It's the same five shapes repeating. Learn where they connect, and a single chord turns into five places to play it.