FAQ Chord Compass

Material: Polypropylene, Polycarbonate

Dimensions: 182mm x 142mm x 11.5mm (W x L x D)

Weight: Decoder 81g (0.18 lbs) , Book.

Decoder: Chord Compass harnesses the power of the CAGED system to: help you navigate the fretboard; open up your chord palette; enrich your range of chords, tones and inversions; and inspire new ways to express yourself as a guitarist and songwriter.

Chord Compass allows you to visualise movable chord shapes and choose where to play a chord or note based on sound, speed or ease of fingering.

The Chord Compass reading companion is packed with examples to guide you through simple chord progressions that utilise different CAGED shapes and concepts.

• Play a chord in multiple positions using CAGED chord shapes.
• Move a single chord shape along the neck to play different chords.
• Identify and connect notes and chords anywhere on the fretboard.
• Incorporate triads and chord segments into your songwriting and playing.

Build on CAGED to add new chords to your repertoire including minor, diminished and augmented chords.

The CAGED system uses five open major chord shapes (C, A, G, E and D) to chart the fretboard. It provides a simple, easily learned framework for playing chords in any position on the neck using familiar chord shapes.

Decoder: Chord Compass is best suited for advancing players. We welcome beginners to use Noisy Can products, we are here to answer questions and provide resources to expand your skills.

Decoder: Chord Compass Guitar comes with a Reading Companion - an 88 page book packed with examples and handy tips to get you playing straight out of the box.

Being comfortable strumming a few open chords and barre chords will help you get the most out using Decoder: Chord Compass.

Chord Compass and the accompanying reading companion are intended for players who can strum a few open chords and barre chords. We show you how to apply certain elements of theory to your playing to spark new ideas and open up new avenues for learning and playing.

Yes. The vertical shape markers on Chord Compass highlight which fret to place a capo on (and where to barre a chord if not using a capo) when playing a chord shape away from the nut.Move the slider to select the chord, find the chord shape where you want to play, and place the capo on the fret to the left of the vertical shape marker.

Chord Compass highlights the root, 3rd and 5th intervals within the CAGED shapes. This makes it easy to modify any major chord into its minor form. The reading companion also shows you how to apply the CAGED system to diminished, augmented and 7th chords.

12 common triad shapes are contained within the CAGED system. Use Chord Compass to identify triads. The inversion structure of the triads is shown on Chord Compass as the major intervals are highlighted.

Yes! The Chord Compass reading companion covers arpeggios and encourages you to build your own chord progressions. Having a better understanding of how the fretboard connects will allow you to control the tone of chord progressions and melodies, give you tools to accompany and jam with other musicians, and become a more melodic guitar player.

Chord progressions can be played in different positions on the neck, using different CAGED shapes to achieve a different tone. Chord shapes can also be moved to instantly transpose whole chord progressions into new keys. 

Chord Compass highlights where to barre chords or add a capo so you can transpose progressions and take advantage of playing open chord shapes further up the neck.