capo?

[PRS MAN]

I have a gliding capo and its awsome and i was wondering what does a capo do, one site said like for chord F you would put the capo on the first fret and then fret the rest of strings the correct way, but then another says that the capo just shortens the neck

 

i thought the capo would work like this (F)

 

e1

B1

G2

D3

A3

E1

and i thought you would capo the first fret and just fret the GDA strings but one site says that it if i put a capo on the first fret f changes to

e2

B2

G3

D3

A4

E2

whats right or wrong? i need help im confused

 

[Bluesape]

With all respect, a capo is a useful tool for a seasoned player, but it can become a crutch for a novice. Can't tell ya how many players I've seen rely on them rather than learn lots of chords.

[A String]

The job of a capo is to raise the nut up higher and effectively raise the key you are playing in.

 

It is not for making an F chord easier to play.

[d halfnote]

Using a cspo at the first fret would let you play a chord equivalent to F, at standard pitch, by playing an E chord shape lined up behind it (as in your first example) or by playing an F shape behind it that actually was the same pitch as a standard F#/Gb chord...but that's of limited use.

Capos are often used as a quick fix by singers to play a song they know in one key when they have to change keys.

 

What's been said above is correct, players often use them to avoid learning more chord forms but capos can be used in a creative way by allowing the use of different voicings (that is, how the notes in a chord are arrayed).

For example one guitar can play standard chord forms & another, w/capo, could play voicings that were in the same key but had a different character b/c of the "shape" of the chord.

 

I often use a sort of "reverse capo" on a second guitar by tuning down a whole tone; makes string bending easier &, as described atuomatically provides variety in voicing.

[Caevan O’Shite]

You just play everything as if the capo is the temporarily new nut or "zero"-fret.

 

Your fingerings stay the same, it just puts the pitch of strings that you don't finger up to whatever fret the capo is at.

 

It's kind of as if you've tuned the guitar up higher, to whatever pitch the fret is where you've put the capo. So "regular", "open" chords that use open, un-fretted strings along with the ones you fret with your fingers, are higher.

 

A good example of this is "Here Comes The Sun" by the Beatles- the capo is set way up on the 7th-fret, and you play as if you're fingering open "D" and "Dsus2" chords to start, only it's actually a high "A" and "Asus2", etc. because of basing everything off from where the capo is positioned...

[Larryz]

You can get a lot of new sounds playing in higher registers by using a capo and using open chords (gives you some extra fingers as you're not barring the chord and using a capo as your index finger)...scale players consider that you lose all of the frets below the capo and refer to this as "shortening the neck"...think of chords as formations...there are only 3 that you need to know to get going...C or D, E or F and A...most of the other chords can be found by altering these 3 primary fingerings...try playing an E formation with your 2nd 3rd and 4th finger in the open position and then slide up the neck using your 1st finger as a capo...now do the same for Am, then A major, and C...you'll get a pretty good idea of how the capo replaces that 1st finger...

[GreySeraph]

The job of a capo is to raise the nut up higher and effectively raise the key you are playing in.

 

It is not for making an F chord easier to play.

 

I disagree in a weird, tangent-ish way. Capos could be considered totally unnecessary if you think about it, but that's like saying that your ring finger and pinky fingers are unnecessary as well-- sure Django did it because he didnt really have more fingers to use, but why should that ever stop someone from using his other fingers? it's definitely transitive to using a capo as a means to an end. Take for instance transposing 1 1/2 steps up at the same time as sight reading if you're on a session gig: I doubt you're gonna wanna do it the macho way and rough it without one, even if the sight reading only deals with chords and makes things easier.

 

Depending on the song and the tonality of the piece, it might not be used for raising the key at all, but help to create nice open-sounding chords that ring out without having to fret with your fingers and play accompanella. Take for instance Andy McKee's tune Rylynn; it's partial-capoed at fifth fret for the low four strings, and is tuned ECDGBD (effectively AFGCBD, or an inverted Gmaj11).

 

Another reason for the capo is timbre and the ability to have chords flow with pedal tones (which can come with making chords easier at the same time). This comes when you play open position chords using a capo (which goes along with you saying that you're raising the key and what not, but it goes both ways truly). Capoing at 10th fret and playing a "G", whether anyone wants to admit it or not, IS an F chord. You can totally play a Bb9 and a Dsus4 and it totally works as a I-IV-V.

[GreySeraph]

@Threadstarter: the second chord you put down was a GMaj7 chord if you did that while the capo was down. You need to hold the open E chord shape (or 022100) if you have a capo down on first fret.

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

The siblime use of a capo is "Here Comes The Sun". It is about voicing.

 

I put a capo high up on a 1965 Firebird 12 string and added an arpregiated part to a remix of a ten year old recording last year, and that sound really energised the track. (those Johnny Winter-sounding pickups had a lot to do with it...)

 

Just like a baritone guitar adds a nice touch to certain pieces, so does a capo, or a small guitar (like the Baby Taylor) or using a Nashville strung guitar (which I used to do a lot...different but similar to the 12 string feel).... or even like Heart and Zep used to do... add mandolins. Or a resonator guitar.

 

Hell, I used to scour Goodwill stores for kids musical toys, and add them to certain tracks. Never paid more than $3, and got some really interesting things. Kids keyboards have neat sound chips.

[Gifthorse]

I love my capo. I use a Shub. It is refreshing to use when you are in a slump. You can really make something that sounds boring, interesting again if you experiment with the capo.

 

It can also make open tunings even more new and fresh sounding.

[The Geoff]

The original use of the capo in Spanish music was to allow the player to utilise the area of neck at which the fret-spacing best suited the size/reach of his fingers, therefore I see no stigma in its use.

 

However, I rarely use one except in certain cases where the musical effect is totally dependent on using certain chord shapes, and the original key does not suit the singer's voice - i.e. as Bill mentions above, 'Here Comes The Sun', or in our case, the Searcher's 'Needles 'n' Pins'.

 

G.

[A String]

The job of a capo is to raise the nut up higher and effectively raise the key you are playing in.

 

It is not for making an F chord easier to play.

 

I disagree in a weird, tangent-ish way. Capos could be considered totally unnecessary if you think about it, but that's like saying that your ring finger and pinky fingers are unnecessary as well-- sure Django did it because he didnt really have more fingers to use, but why should that ever stop someone from using his other fingers? it's definitely transitive to using a capo as a means to an end. Take for instance transposing 1 1/2 steps up at the same time as sight reading if you're on a session gig: I doubt you're gonna wanna do it the macho way and rough it without one, even if the sight reading only deals with chords and makes things easier.

 

Depending on the song and the tonality of the piece, it might not be used for raising the key at all, but help to create nice open-sounding chords that ring out without having to fret with your fingers and play accompanella. Take for instance Andy McKee's tune Rylynn; it's partial-capoed at fifth fret for the low four strings, and is tuned ECDGBD (effectively AFGCBD, or an inverted Gmaj11).

 

Another reason for the capo is timbre and the ability to have chords flow with pedal tones (which can come with making chords easier at the same time). This comes when you play open position chords using a capo (which goes along with you saying that you're raising the key and what not, but it goes both ways truly). Capoing at 10th fret and playing a "G", whether anyone wants to admit it or not, IS an F chord. You can totally play a Bb9 and a Dsus4 and it totally works as a I-IV-V.

 

No, I think we are still on the same page here.

 

What I was referring to, was the use of a capo to avoid learning how to properly hold down the first and second string, with your first finger, in an F chord. Using a capo as a crutch to avoid learning something, is wrong.

 

Using a capo to change the pitch of a song, is what they are for. To reference "Here Comes The Sun", there are parts in that song, where there really is no good way to play it, without a capo.

[anderz]

The respective job of a capo is to virtually tune your instrument higher without actually tuning it higher. For example, if you had your capo on the first fret covering all strings, you would virtually be tuned in F instead of E.

[Chunk]

I found this video from Dan Erlewine

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SejHVAFAKAI

[Larryz]

this is the definition of dedication to a capo (ie. drilling holes in the neck for inserts wow!!!) did enjoy the 2 capo drop D tuning concept...even though I'm not a user of capos, this was a very interesting video...thanks Chunk!!

[GuitarPlayerFL]

For the first time in 35 years, I bought a $3 capo when our band plays Come On Get Higher (Matt Nathanson). Now I can properly play Aqualung, too!

 

I saw Willy Porter use a couple of partial capos at different frets. Of course, he's a great acoustic player and used them for advanced playing techniques.

 

Most others use them for cowboy chords in different keys...which is what I had to do for this silly song.

[fantasticsound]

How many threads does it take to point out that a capo is a tool? How you choose to use it is up to you. Capos were invented for changing key without changing the fingerings and, by consequence, the voice structure of chords in a song.

 

Capos are often used to allow familiar fingerings for both chords and melodic runs utilizing open strings that would otherwise require a barre, a different chord form (yielding a different voicing) or different fingerings of melodies/harmonies.

 

You don't have to be impressed by someone's playing of simple chords in a higher key using a capo but if it works for the song, who the f*** cares how they play it? This ain't autotune. The capo does NOT play the notes for you.

[Caevan O’Shite]

I'm with Neil. http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/3144/miditreecropin2.jpg Besides, a talkin' guitar-playin' cat should command your attention.

 

Seriously, even though I only occasionally use 'em, I feel awkward if I don't always have my capos at hand (one with a curved profile for radiused fretboards like electrics and steel-string acoustics, and another very wide, flat/straight one for classical guitars and others with flat fretboards). I love using 'em to get high, pretty (or freaky weird) chords with open-strings and the like...

[Larryz]

It's a fun and interesting subject so it probably will continue to show up in future threads as well...I liked Chunk's posting where you see and hear how capo players use the tool, they get some cool sounds out of them, especially two guitars playing in different registers and getting some beatiful harmonic sounds...

[The Geoff]

I've used a capo on my Burns Double Six electric 12 high up, about 7th fret to reproduce mandolin-type sounds, but because of the different tension on the strings, it's a major tune-up job every time its put on & taken off.

 

G.

[Caevan O’Shite]

I've used a capo on my Burns Double Six electric 12 high up, about 7th fret to reproduce mandolin-type sounds, but because of the different tension on the strings, it's a major tune-up job every time its put on & taken off.

 

Perhaps positioning the edge of the capo just over the back-edge of the fret might help?

[The Geoff]

I've used a capo on my Burns Double Six electric 12 high up, about 7th fret to reproduce mandolin-type sounds, but because of the different tension on the strings, it's a major tune-up job every time its put on & taken off.

 

Perhaps positioning the edge of the capo just over the back-edge of the fret might help?

 

I've tried that. The problem is the difference in gauge (thickness) between the two strings in the pair. The larger protects the smaller from the full pressure of the capo and so the tension resting on it is different, therefore retuning is necessary.

 

G.

[Caevan O’Shite]

I've tried that. The problem is the difference in gauge (thickness) between the two strings in the pair. The larger protects the smaller from the full pressure of the capo and so the tension resting on it is different, therefore retuning is necessary.

 

OK; Maybe you could take a capo and cut/saw little grooves where the larger string in each course is, to even it out a little? You could put the capo on up there at the 7th-fret, press it down a bit, and observe the temporary impressions left by the strings as a guide. Just a thought...

[bennyguitfiddle]

I've tried that. The problem is the difference in gauge (thickness) between the two strings in the pair. The larger protects the smaller from the full pressure of the capo and so the tension resting on it is different, therefore retuning is necessary.

 

OK; Maybe you could take a capo and cut/saw little grooves where the larger string in each course is, to even it out a little? You could put the capo on up there at the 7th-fret, press it down a bit, and observe the temporary impressions left by the strings as a guide. Just a thought...

more genius ideas!

how do you even sleep with all those oddities running around in your brain?

You should paten that Idea.

[Eric Iverson]

Capos? I rarely use them... I know my chords in all keys, thank you, and since I'm usually playing with a keyboardist and bassist I don't need to play full 6 string chords all the time.

 

But I have used them to good effect, to get nice voicings when playing with another guitarist. And for some styles, they are good, since you want the ringing open string sound, which may be hard to get in Bb or Eb.

 

My flute teacher asked me about playing guitar in other keys, was it just a matter of moving a finger position up or down a fret. I told that nothing was QUITE that simple, LOL! Often that is the case, but some things, like this one Carcassi piece in E minor I like to play around with that has an open low E string and a B note on the top E string... it might be challenging to play it in F minor without a capo, unless your hands stretch to the moon!