The CAGED chord shapes can be a great way of learning the geography of the fretboard. The shapes, both major and minor, occur in every position and key just like the pentatonic boxes. In fact, they form part of these very same patterns but in a far less linear ‘two-notes-per-string’ way.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of regarding the CAGED shapes purely as chords. After all, where would we be without our E- and A-shape barre chords? But just as some pentatonic shapes fall more easily under the fingers, some chord shapes are easier to shift around than others. Once you move out of open position, the C and G shapes can become very impractical, with D running close behind! Generally, us guitarists accept that playing these as full chords isn’t a great (or widely used) option.
You wouldn’t try to play every note in a scale simultaneously, so why not apply this attitude to the CAGED chord shapes and strip the C, G and D chords down to single notes, with the option to expand to intervals or triads? Things then become much more manageable, opening up possibilities for both chord inversions and soloing patterns. You may find it easiest to see the patterns by placing your fingers on the full chord for reference at first, but eventually this becomes unnecessary. In the examples, I’ve attempted to demonstrate a few practical ways of using the CAGED shapes as single-note patterns in combination with the pentatonic boxes.
It’s all about getting a different perspective on n.