I don't understand "why" to use a capo

[Docjonas]

Originally Posted by Riverwolf

I understand the "how" and I own several nice ones.
I know that some song lessons call for a capo and some of those songs do sound better with a capo.
But I have never understood why else to use one.
I do not understand how ones voice can be in a specific key.
I watch everyone from Johnny Cash to Neil Young playing open position chords with no capo.
I have been playing 4+ years and just don't get this part at all.

So enlighten me you guitar music wizards.

Ok. Here comes the snarky comment (although I don't mean it to be). I suspect that the longer you play (you mention you've only been playing for 4 years), the more you'll realize the value of the capo for all the reasons mentioned here. Again, I don't mean this is a snarky way at all. It took me several years and some experience playing with others, before I truly embraced how valuable that little instrument really is for good guitar playing and singing.

[Jambi]

I scanned the thread but didn't read thoroughly, forgive me if I simply repeat another person's point.

I used to think capos as utterly useless, I detune my guitar as much as it will allow (out of preference) and only play solo, so raising pitch seemed counter-intuitive.

But recently I read about the technique of tuning your guitar down then 'capoing' up to standard to shorten the actual scale length of the guitar. Now THIS is something I can latch onto! My imagination for guitar arrangements is sometimes more lofty than what my incredibly stumpy fingers can execute. Shortening the scale could allow those shapes to be possible, and it's an idea for capo that I find very enticing.

[mr. beaumont]

I think if you use a capo only to change key, it's kinda like having a swiss army knife and only using the toothpick.

[Charmed Life Picks]

This topic always generates an interesting discussion. My wife, who is a fantastic pianist and organist, was born with perfect pitch. She gets a really confused look on her face when she tries to use a capo on a guitar.

scott memmer

[golfreggie]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Different sounds though.

You SHOULD be able to play in any key...but sometimes, you want the open strings to be something in particular...then the capo comes in.

Personally, I rarely use them, unless I'm desecrating some flamenco stuff

Interesting note about Johnny Cash--Johnny often tuned to F standard (or even a little higher!) His low E was not an E!

Interesting comment about Johnny that I did not know. I play along with Rosanne Cash's version of "Tennessee Flat Top Box" and I have to capo the first fret to match the song's key. That puts the song in Bb if I am correct as the main chord shape is an A chord form. It would be unbelievably hard to match the sound elsewise. I just figured the half step from A to Bb just fit the voice better so they capo'd up one fret. Maybe her dad, Johnny, tuned up a half step and played it without a capo. Interesting.

[beninma]

So one use I'm not sure I've mentioned that appeals to me.

Play an Open G.. you've got strings 3 & 4 open.

Switch to an Open D, string 4 is still open.

It rings in between the transition, no need to mute it as it's in both chords and sounds good being left open.

Do the same thing with a G barre chord @ 3 and then to an D barre chord @ 5 and all the strings mute in the transition when the barre comes up.

It will just sound different. (Ignoring that the barre chord description I gave is voiced higher.)

Weird example since that doesn't require a Capo, but there are cases you could play with the Capo instead of using barre chords and then you can get an open chord effect instead of the mute between changes effect. I've never done it but you could use a Capo at 1 when switching between F & C Major and have the open chord effect going on just like with a G to D transition. There are probably some other examples?

Personally I think those open chord transitions where the chords are allowed to blend into each other during the transition are one of the magical things about acoustic guitars... they sound great, and don't necessarily sound great on electric guitars.

[jed1894]

Man, is this an interesting and informative thread for a newbie. Is there an App or anything to help with capo work? Example: put capo on 2nd fret and now E chord is x chord? Or d chord is now x chord?

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by jed1894

Man, is this an interesting and informative thread for a newbie. Is there an App or anything to help with capo work? Example: put capo on 2nd fret and now E chord is x chord? Or d chord is now x chord?

That's what this forum does best. Glad we could help.

[Mr Fingers]

I think Silly Moustache's comment about being able to use first position shapes but in a different key is a really common and good reason for using a capo. I sometimes use one when I am the second guitar playing with someone who uses largely first-position chords. I can then capo up the neck a bit and play the same chords, but in a different, higher position, creating a complementary sound. For ex., if someone's whaling away on a first-position G chord, I can capo up and use a D shape. It's often an easy way to create two parts instead of just duplicating one.

[beyeond]

Incredibly informing posts in here guys. Although I already knew the reasons capos are used, I never really understood the vocal range thing and this has definitely helped me.

I remember reading a random comment about Oasis from someone (not on this site, can't remember where but it was probably a youtube comment) where someone said that Noel shouldn't write so many songs in G because it's out of Liam's range. This never made sense to me and now I know why it doesn't make sense.

[mikehartigan]

Old thread, to be sure. But it seems the OP answered his own question in the original post:

"... some of those songs do sound better with a capo"

'nuff said!

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by jed1894

Man, is this an interesting and informative thread for a newbie. Is there an App or anything to help with capo work? Example: put capo on 2nd fret and now E chord is x chord? Or d chord is now x chord?

You should look into movable chord forms. For example, an E-shaped barred at the 2nd fret is an F#. (Index finger making the barre, the other three fingers forming the E shape) Move it up one fret, to the 3rd, and it becomes a G chord. 5th fret is an A (The forth of the Key of E) and the 7th fret is B (The fifth) Changing to an E-minor for will get you minors as you move up the neck.

Here is a hint: when doing this. the chord that you are making is the same as the note of the 6th string where you place the Barre. Hint #2, when making A-form barres, the note on the fifth string where you place the barre is the chord that you are playing. Apps don't substitute for learning the fretboard.

OMMV

TW

[LiveMusic]

Originally Posted by murrmac123

You never caught Django Reinhardt or Les Paul using a capo ...

I am not 100% sure but I think James Burton looks down on capo use. But he plays electric 99% of time. I've never seen him play acoustic. Point is, he isn't a singer-songwriter type, he plays electric and mostly a lead player. Different animal.

[Beakybird]

Originally Posted by marit

I'm just going to ask this... What song is Neil playing there? He hardly ever uses a capo and the songs he does use it on he hasn't played during the Earth tour... Any ideas?

Maybe he lost his capo.

Ok, that's not the reason. But you don't see Neil playing in C# or Ab either.

[Cypress Knee]

If you are playing fiddle tunes and mandolin music, a great many of those tunes tend to be in A and D. By using a capo the guitarist is getting the opportunity to use G/C/D and C/F/G chord shapes with the plethora of open strings and chord formation. I like to play Soldier's Joy and St Anne's Reel in the no capo key of D, but must people like to capo at 2 and play key of C chord shapes. In the opposite vein, I like to capo 2 and play Whiskey Before Breakfast and Forked Deer out of C shapes, while many I know prefer to use no capo and the key of D.

To each his own.

Also, there was a vague mention of this earlier, Glen Campbell is being interviewed on youtube about his studio work and he pulls out a capo and demonstrates the noticeable difference between capoed riffs and open riffs on what I think was a Beach Boys song. I believe it was a Johnny Carson show, but it could have been Hee Haw or the Goodtime Hour, you will have to search for that one. If I remember right, both Campbell and Doc Watson refered to their capo's as "cheaters".

CK