How would you play this with a Capo?

[Asharpisaflat]

Hello all!

I'm looking to play this song using a Capo. Is this the right decision? If it is what fret should I use? All I want to do is play and sing the song with a friend, not looking to play the parts exactly right. Just Chords that fit and sound right any suggestions?

Here is an acoustic video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoEO49ZLGQw

This is another video of the original recording not acoustic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R5ysL36BGg

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Asharpisaflat

Hello all!

I'm looking to play this song using a Capo. Is this the right decision? If it is what fret should I use? All I want to do is play and sing the song with a friend, not looking to play the parts exactly right. Just Chords that fit and sound right any suggestions?

Why do you want to use a capo to start with?
The idea of a capo is (usually) to change the key of a song to suit your voice. So you would need to check first whether you can sing in the original key or not. If you can, play the original chords with no capo.
If you need to raise the key, then put the capo on whatever fret you need to.
If you need to lower the key, that's more complicated. You might still be able to use the same chord shapes, and sing an octave down (still putting the capo where it's comfortable for your voice). But you might need to transpose the chords.

What I can tell you from a quick look and listen to that acoustic video is that they're in the key of D, but the guy on the right has his guitar tuned down a whole step. (You can see him playing an E chord shape, but it sounds like D.)

[Monnster]

Just throw a capo on and play it. If you yell loud enough, like in the video, I hardly think the guitar playing would matter much.

[khedquist]

Originally Posted by Monnster

Just throw a capo on and play it. If you yell loud enough, like in the video, I hardly think the guitar playing would matter much.

+1......................

[rhancox]

Originally Posted by JonPR

Why do you want to use a capo to start with?
The idea of a capo is (usually) to change the key of a song to suit your voice.

The other reason would be adding a different voicing to the arrangement. With the capo you'll play in the same key, but at a different octave.

Not sure where you'd place the capo and what chord shapes you'd play, with respect to the song you posted, but going up 2 or 4 frets would be fine.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by rhancox

The other reason would be adding a different voicing to the arrangement. With the capo you'll play in the same key, but at a different octave.

Very true. That would be a secondary reason - but I was trying to get at why he was thinking of it in the first place, as he asked "Is this the right decision?" - which of course depends on why he's thinking about it.

[rhancox]

Originally Posted by JonPR

Very true. That would be a secondary reason - but I was trying to get at why he was thinking of it in the first place, as he asked "Is this the right decision?" - which of course depends on why he's thinking about it.

So true.

Like, you know you should do it, but you don't know why.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by rhancox

So true.

Like, you know you should do it, but you don't know why.

Yes.
I admit I didn't quite get the point he was making about playing it with a friend - I guess that means he's thinking how you're thinking: to get different sounds rather than play the same open chords as his friend. (The guys in the video are playing without capos, but are using different shapes.)

Maybe we need a confirmation from Asharpisaflat - if he's still out there and hasn't worked it out already - before giving more detailed advice....