Why do some of the major scales in the caged system use the open strings in one of the patterns (i.e. C F G) and others don't even though every scale (excluding C# Db) has open string notes on the entire neck? I'm trying to compare my worksheets to other resources available on the net. I'm confused!?!?!?

:-)

Way to shed some light on it.

NVM. I figured it out

So what the answer? Id like to know your point of view! But if i understand your question right I'd say if you have C# Major there is no open string available in the scale.
Anpther point of view is there is no fixed position it is the tones in their order that makes a scale and how you play it on the neck is not important although there are several ways to play them more easy as other ones.
But if you want to play for example a D maj scale from the open 4th string you are allowed (why not).


Grtz

Ray

The scales need to have one of the caged shapes within the first two frets. After I took a second look at them I realized that.

But like the D maj scale, in the caged system the first shape (D shape) appears at the second and third fret and therefore you wouldn't use any of the open strings.

Very good you're trying to analize this stuff dehowe85 i think this is the way to remember the fretboard and the scales.
You can see very clearly that there are many different ways of looking to this. For me the D shape is the 5th position which is played (When playing in D) on the first 4 frets. I understand your way of looking to it but bare in mind that when you play G maj the D shape is not the first shape anymore. In the end it doesnt matter wich position is which position (thats what i tried to say in my previous answer) a scale is a sequence of tones D-E-F#-G#-A-B-C#-D and if you play them right in this order it doesnt matter how you play them. Therefore it is importante to remember the fretboard and the scales with their formulae.

The main rule with the CAGED system is that you play a scale with your 4 fingers all dedicated to one fret with some exceptions, those exceptions are stredges with your finger 1 or 4.

This is my point of view, im not saying this is the RIGHT one.