Do You Use A Capo??

[Admin]

Do You Capo?

A capo is a handy device that clamps onto your guitar neck across all the strings at a given fret position, thus raising the pitch of the strings. Though it is unfairly called a "cheater" , the capo is a very useful tool that allows you to accomplish some things that would be nigh impossible without it (just ask Keith Richards or Albert Collins among others).

How about if you want to play a song from sheet music in its proper key, but it's in a "guitar unfriendly" key such as Ab or Eb? No problem. To play the diatonic chords in the key of Ab, simply attach the capo to the first fret (the capo should sit directly behind the fret, close to the first fretwire) and strum the chords of the "guitar-friendly" key of G. Now your chords will sound in Ab, even though you're using the familiar chord fingerings of G. Treat the capo as a temporary new nut, and finger your chords the appropriate distance away from the "nut".

Also, what if your vocal range or a friend's falls naturally in the "guitar-unfriendly" key of Eb. Have fun playing those Eb, Ab and Bb7 chords all the time---yeah right. Once again, slap it on the first fret (it isn't always the first fret, honest) and play those nice, shimmering chords of the key of D to sound in the key of Eb.

What if you want to play some delicate "tinkly" notes high up the neck? Strap or clamp it on further up the neck. Once again you can still utilize "open strings" just by playing an unfretted, but capoed, string. George Harrison used this technique to very good effect on The Beatles' "Here Comes The Sun" (Abbey Road) by using a capo on his guitar at the 7th fret. If your guitar's action is a bit too high, a temporary measure might be to apply a capo. This will lower the action and make fretting a bit easier for you.

Capo Cautions

•make sure capo doesn't bend your strings when you clamp it on, as this will make your guitar sound out of tune
•capos can get in the way of your fretting hand - check to be sure whatever capo you choose doesn't interfere with your technique
•pay close attention to the points of contact between the capo and the guitar - you don't want your fretboard scratched

Here's a cool chart to help you:

guitar.about.com/od/commonbeginnerquestions/a/Guitar-Capo-Chart.htm

[saguitar]

I can't say I don't use a capo, but I have only used one twice in the last 10 years. And both of those occasions happened when I was playing acoustic. Since I usually play electric, and the action is much nicer than on an acoustic, I play sans capo, although I still keep one around. I just learned to play in the flat keys and moved on.

[Admin]

Jan 26, 2013 12:29:23 GMT -5 saguitar said:

I can't say I don't use a capo, but I have only used one twice in the last 10 years. And both of those occasions happened when I was playing acoustic. Since I usually play electric, and the action is much nicer than on an acoustic, I play sans capo, although I still keep one around. I just learned to play in the flat keys and moved on.

I understand Stan. Us old acoustic coots got use to them I guess. I found they were particularly useful for some open tunings like Open E. Tuning in Open E is hard on the neck so I just capo up.

[noname]

everyone in our church band has one clipped on their headstocks but me. I have nothing against them, but my Shub is not spring loaded, so when I play with them, I just pick a different chord voicing and play up the neck. I do use one on occasion at home, but, really, I am just too lazy to put one on regularly.

[slapjaw]

Yes I do. It makes it easier when playing with different people, who sound better in a key your not used to playing a song in. If your used to playing with male voices and a female takes the lead this is a very helpful tool.

[dadfad]

I use one sometimes, but not so I can play everything "as if" in E or G or whatever. Some tunes are made to be played with a capo. (For example Blind Blake's "That'll Never Happen No More" is capoed far up the neck specifically to sound more like it's being played on an upright piano. In more "mainstream" tunes, playing "Here Comes the Sun" for example needs to be capoed up the neck to sound right.

Even if you're capoing for purely vocal-key reasons, there are some tunes where very specific licks cannot be duplicated unless it's played either in that specific key it was originally done in or capoed so as to be able to play it "as if" in that key.

A thing I do from time to time is capo across the second fret but only the first five strings (leaving the six open) which in effect is a sort of dropped-E, the E (and related chords in the progression) is of course then based around the D-shape. It gives the rich tone (from having a doubled midrange-5th against three octave tonics) found in using dropped-D yet other chords can be played more conventionally (fingering the six-string, appropriately, for standard tuning.)

A capo can be a lot more that a "cheater" used by beginners.

[steve]

I don't consider a capo a cheat at all. It is merely a tool to enable you to adapt to certain situations. Don't get me wrong, I have no problems playing in any key but the reality is that it enables you to play open chords where else you might play barre chords. I would opt to play a song, say, with capo on 2nd fret and use open chords to get that lovely ring. Also, in my band, the other guitarist might use no capo, I'll do so to give me another voicing. It makes the sound a lot richer.
Some songs, as has been said above, rely on a capo for the sound- Here Comes The Sun is a great example. The riff revolves around an open D chord shape. Staying with the Beatles, Norwegian Wood is best played with a capo on second fret with the open D shape. Thats how John Lennon played it.

In summary, a capo is a useful creative tool.

[jaked]

I use one when I play accoustic. Some of the bands I play use them a lot over standard tuning. I also use one on my tele when I play "Tumbling Dice" and it is a kick!

[steve]

Feb 6, 2013 20:49:12 GMT -5 @herb said:

I've never used a capo. I have an index finger for that. I always felt when using a capo, you just lose the notes below it on the neck.

I see your point Herb but for me there is a payoff in that you get to play open chords in a different register and that can, in my view, balance out the negatives.

[traveler]

I never used one much.
I guess like most others I felt it was a crutch, I still think that to some extent, I see some people play where it looks like they would be lost without their capo and a few open chords.
I always thought it would be better to know enough chords where you didn't need a capo.

Now I've come to see it's only a tool, and sometimes the only way to get to where you want to go.
Problem is, I think the one I have is a piece of crap.It's some horseshoe shaped contraption with a swinging bar on top you lock into position and release the tension on the spring that holds the pressure on.
Takes two hands to use, hard to deal with, often takes my guitar out of tune.
Also, I play a nylon string most of the time, and this capo isn't really wide enough to capo much above the second fret.

So I figure I'll be getting a new one soon.
If anyone would like to make some recommendations, I'd love to have them.

Thanks.

[razzgospel]

And now for a completely different perspective. It sounds like most of you folks posting on here are guitar players who sing, or play in a group. I am a singer who plays guitar and has never been in a group. I use a capo when I can sing most expressively in a particular key, and I want to use the most fluid chord positions to finger-pick the melody, or bass runs to compliment my vocal. As an example, I do most Carter Family stuff in C because the bass runs I hear in my head from the old recordings are mostly in the key of C, or G. If my vocal range on a particular song fits better in D, I'll capo up two frets and play the same chord positions as if I was playing in the key of C. I also tend to write songs with a very widerange in the melody, and I sometimes use a capo to get the right guitar arrangement in the right place so that I can comfortably move from the lowest bass notes to the higest notes.

When I had my gospel quartet, I would often capo so that my bass singer could hit the lowest notes with authority. All of this is driven by singing, and using the guitar to support and enrich the vocal.

When I recorded this song, I did it in the key of C, because that's where the guitar accompaniment opens up the chord progressions that sound best for me. My friend Joe Evans sings the low bass part, and depending on the time of day, he has trouble hitting the lowest note with power. I can hit the lowest note with power sometimes, and sometimes I can't. Your vocal range can shift a whole key, depending on whether you are singing in the morning, or the evening. I am more comfortable hitting the high notes in this song while playing in the key of C, but Joe is more comfortable hitting the lowest note if I capo up to D. Joe had to record the last note of this recording several times to get it strong enough. If I'd recorded in the key of D, capoing up two frets and playing in the same chord positions as if I was in the key of C, his bass notes would have been stronger, and my highest notes would have been a little weaker. Here's the recording, done in the key of C:

soundcloud.com/#jerryrasmussen/he-knows-how-much-we-can

[Admin]

Playing open tunings, I need a capo from time to time. Open E is a great tuning, but hard on the neck of an acoustic guitar, so tune Open D DADF#AD and capo up to E.

[sonny]

Yes, I use a capo constantly.  I tune my guitar in open G and put a capo on 2nd fret making an A.  I remove the 6th string and now my base string is the 5th and also an A.  I sing in the key of A and this works fine with me.  If I tune in standard I still use a capo on 2nd fret, then I make, G-C-and D chords which with a capo A-D-and E.  So, yes, I use a capo often.

[celeste]

I use a capo if I want to use a particular chord form, but I want to do it in a different key than the form I want allows.

[Pistol Pete]

I'm also an open tuning player who uses a capo to get from G to A and D to E without retuning.