The eternal question: Does using a capo mean you are a lesser player?

[FingahPickah]

Originally Posted by aeisen93

Doesn't mean you are less of a player. It means you want to be able to play open chords in different Keys.

I agree.

The flexibility (a capo provides) of changing the voicing of chords - especially with two or more players speaks for itself. i.e., Listen to an A chord played along with G shape (capo 2). Think Everly Brothers

[dbvirago]

I use mine to crack walnuts. Does that make me a lesser nut?

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by raysachs

I am a lesser player. I use a capo. The two have nothing to do with each other.

That made me laugh. Thanks

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by pagedr

Is that actually a thing? I don't think I've ever heard anyone claim that using a capo makes you a lesser player. If I did I'd probably just laugh because that's ridiculous.

It's definitely a thing. I remember a conversation with a player about his guitar that had a wider than usual neck. I innocently asked him if a capo could be used with it. He responded in a disdainful voice: "If you must".

Sigh.

[MartinGibsonFan]

Phrase must have been coined by a Classical (Jazz) Player.



MGF

[PHJim]

If it sounds good, it is good.

[MartinGibsonFan]

Originally Posted by PHJim

If it sounds good, it is good.

Another Thumbs Up.

Not sure why these type of threads are started.



There's enough contention in this world to argue about capos.



MGF

[PHJim]

Play this without a capo.

[MartinGibsonFan]

I'd play that with a Kazoo



MGF

[TBman]

Originally Posted by PHJim

Play this without a capo.

Good argument for FADGBE tuning,

[donlyn]

The eternal question: Does using a capo mean you are a lesser player?

Only if you 'internal-ize' it.


Using a capo means only one thing. You are using a capo.

If you don't want to use a capo, transpose to another key.

Which brings to mind,

Originally Posted by golfreggie

How would one play "Here Comes the Sun" without a capo?????

Instead of using a capo or transposing to another key, I played it in standard tuning but used the key of 'A' position. I did this in the late 60's when the only acoustic guitar I owned was an EKO Ranger XII (12 in Roman numerals). That way I could get the best sound (to me) by getting a lot of mileage out of the open courses on the 12 string guitar. Also due to re-tuning issues I did not commonly use a capo on a 12 string until I got a G7th Newport 12 String capo with the compensated string pad. And that was only a year or so ago. Anyway the 12 string really shines playing through all those arpeggios and turnarounds.

So instead of playing it capo 7 in the 'D' position like I do on a 6 string, I just played it for years using open strings and cowboy chords. Still sounds real good to me that way. By the way, I guess I really did transpose the song, because I used to tune my 12 strings down two tones to 'D', which meant the actual key was 'G'. And I tune my current 12s to 'D#'. Old habits die hard.

Don
.

[gmr]

No, it does not!

[Nama Ensou]

Originally Posted by El Conquistador

Does using a capo mean you are a lesser player?

It doesn't matter what anyone else says about it, it only depends on why you use a capo. If you use it as a voicing tool that's one thing, but using one because you can't take the time/effort to change your chords from E, A, D to F#, B, E definitely says something about a player.

Played with a guy a couple weeks back who kept trying to act as band director and he literally had for why he had to use a capo to play a song a step higher than what he was used to. Believe it or not, he was speechless when I showed him the chords without using the capo, and he even fiddled with the song for a couple minutes before deciding it was okay to change his chord fingerings instead of capoing.

On the other end of the capo spectrum, there's players who use them very artistically and are not lazy at all.

[RTR]

Originally Posted by aeisen93

Doesn't mean you are less of a player. It means you want to be able to play open chords in different Keys.

Right and there is a genre of music Bluegrass, where the whole sound is based around using a capo. Technically it would be possible to play dozens of tunes in E at the first position, and one cannot argue that guitarists like Tony Rice or Bryan Sutton wouldn't be able to, but they play it at the 4th fret to get that sound and open up all sorts of cross picking and singe note patterns. and runs. Stanley Brothers tunes would be playable without a capo, but it wouldn't be Bluegrass.
It all come down to what type of music you wish to play.

[Polishguitar623]

Years ago one of the first things my jazz guitar teacher told me was to "get rid of the capo mentality." So, yes it seems to be a thing in some circles. I got out of using a capo in part, I suppose, because of this comment . . . but also because once I stopped using a capo, I started to really like playing in flat keys. I suppose it helped that the standards I was learning typically were written in flat keys and I kind of figured that the composer had a better ear for harmony that I had or ever will.

As other have said though . . . it kind of depends on the context. Bluegrass tends to use open strings whereas jazz guitar does not. So it makes sense to use a capo in the former context and maybe not in the latter.

That said, play it the way you like it.