Using a capo...When?

[ceciltguitar]

I use a capo when:

- my wife is playing open or low fret capo, and I want to play Fingerstyle accompaniment or strum open chords in a higher register

- to shorten the scale of the fretboard in order to make tunes with certain difficult or impossible stretches very playable

- I get tired of hearing the same open strings, and I get tired of playing and thinking in the same open string keys

- I want to play or hear a tune in a different key

- to move a familiar arrangement into the key that my wife sings that particular song in

[John Bartus]

For recording, using a capo to add another rhythm or fingerpicked acoustic guitar in a different register than an open voicing can really sweeten up an acoustic song. It’s cool to build a “wall” of strummed/doubled acoustics, some open, some capoed. Think Wilburys.

[llew]

Originally Posted by David Eastwood

My capo use is more driven by the tuning my guitar is in (often open D), and the key my playing partner wants to sing in. Somewhere there’s a slide rule which could be used to figure out the transpositions

For solo stuff, though, the tune drives the capo positioning, if one is required at all. As I don’t sing, key is not a consideration. I wrote this one nearly 30 years ago, and have always played it with a capo at the 4th fret. To my ears, it just doesn’t sound right anywhere else.

As the guitar is in open D, the resultant voicing is F#.

Very well done! Enjoyed that...thanks!

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by David Eastwood

My capo use is more driven by the tuning my guitar is in (often open D), and the key my playing partner wants to sing in. Somewhere there’s a slide rule which could be used to figure out the transpositions

For solo stuff, though, the tune drives the capo positioning, if one is required at all. As I don’t sing, key is not a consideration. I wrote this one nearly 30 years ago, and have always played it with a capo at the 4th fret. To my ears, it just doesn’t sound right anywhere else.

As the guitar is in open D, the resultant voicing is F#.

Very nice playing David!

One example of a chord transposing sliderule from Shubb is shown HERE.

[YamahaGuy]

I use a capo when I don't feel like playing lots of barre chords. Also, I use one for a different voicing, i.e. the other guitar players are playing open C, so I capo at 5 and play in G. Advantage: I get that ukulele like chime, and I don't have to play an F. To me, the F without the bass note sounds terrible.

To be clear, I can play barre chords, but for 3 hour sets, if there are 5 or 6 songs in a row with them, I can use a break from them, and the capo lets me do just that.

[SongwriterFan]

Because I sing in either Bb or C, but play in G.

[Mandobart]

It appears no one has mentioned the best reason for a capo - BLUEGRASS!!
(I say appears because for some reason I can't scroll to the bottom of the first page of this thread. It may very well be there.)

Bluegrass guitar accompaniment sounds best when you use G, C, D, Am, Em and F shape chords. There are always exceptions, but when a lot of bluegrass is sung in B or Bb, and you still need the G run, you capo.

[UKPhil]

Assuming we're not talking partial capos here I use a normal capo for two reasons only.

The first is for the sound and feel of a particular piece and this isn't something I can explain because it's one of those things I just know when it's right.

The second, and much less frequently for me, is stretching for a particular chord. I say much less frequently because in most instances of this I find another way of getting round the problem musically by changing something.

[The Bard Rocks]

I find I use a capo most often when playing with someone who has changed the key to suit their vocal range and I am either used to playing it or have it written in another key.

Of the songs I lead, it is rare to need a capo and when I do, it is mostly to put an easier fingering in a better key to sing with.

[Bob from Brooklyn]

It's also a nice little trick used with another guitarist.

An example is Free Falling by Tom Petty. The song is in F but Tom capos on 3 and plays a D chord. Mike Campbell capos on 1 and plays an E chord. It really fills out the sonic landscape.

[Big-E]

I used the capo mainly when I found some tunes sound better in tone and also to suit my vocal range (tenor). These days, as I've got older and my voice has changed I find myself experimenting with songs capo-ing higher up the fretboard to suit my voice better.

[islandguitar]

A ton of my originals are played with capo on frets 2 and 3, one of the tunes I enjoy a lot is on capo 5.
When a tune arrives, I do a lot of experimenting with different guitars and different capo positions to get to what I'll finally use for recording.
As others have said.....when the choice is made it's because "it just sounds better" (to me).
The range of interesting sounds which can be achieved by capoing up or down a fret or two is pretty amazing.

[Mark Stone]

I rarely use a capo when playing solo, but frequently use one playing in the band. Usually it's used to match the singer's vocal range.

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by John Bartus

For recording, using a capo to add another rhythm or fingerpicked acoustic guitar in a different register than an open voicing can really sweeten up an acoustic song. It’s cool to build a “wall” of strummed/doubled acoustics, some open, some capoed. Think Wilburys.

I used to play in a duet where we'd do this with every song we possibly good. This way the guitars seem to harmonize with each other even though they are technically playing in the same key.

It's a lot of work at first to get it right, especially when practicing because you can't cheat by looking at each other's fingering. I learned quickly to listen without looking. We finally learned to practice the way we were going to perform, not face-to-face but side-by-side. That helped.

[brad4d8]

I don't like capos much. I only use them when I'm playing with others and they want to use C shapes on a fret that I can't transpose on the fly, such as first fret. Also, I like to use a lot of chords up the neck, and I'll automatically go to what fret it would be in open tuning. Much easier if someone want to capo 5 and use G fingerings, I'll just play it in C. The only exception I can think of is when a BGer wants to capo 2 and play in G (for some reason seems common to me), then I'll use it.