Using A Capo

[admin]

Have you ever turned yourself inside out trying to play a song that just doesn't sound quite right only to find out in the end that the secret is a capo?

In some circles, the use of a capo is thought to be an admission that the guitarist needs more lessons, but in others it is seen as being an effective way to add additional tone to the mix. Think Nowhere Man!

How useful do you find the capo?

[jdogric12]

I know a guy who says capos are for woosies, and I tend to follow that argument, but there are definitely a lot of things, like bluegrass licks, that you can't do in certain keys without one. I used one on "Dope on a Rope," if anybody remembers that. Played a Dm7 based lick with CIII, sounding Fm7.

[stubby]

I use the capo a lot and I don't consider that it testifies to incompetence at all. It depends, of course, on how you use it - if a guy is playing one chord pattern and simply capos it up whenever he needs to switch keys, well that's a different matter. But a capo is a fantastic tone/feel changer particularly if you have two acoustics going and want to get a nice blend of sound. I've never really seen the point of having two acoustics play exactly the same thing (as a general rule of thumb that is) so having a second guitar playing capoed often opens up the texture of a piece nicely.

[admin]

I am with you on this one Stubby. "Here Comes The Sun" is a very good example the effective use of the capo.

[longhouse]

The capo is an important part of my sound. When you need the open strings to ring out in natural relation to the chord shapes/notes you're playing, it is often essential. Just another color on the pallette still -you have to love a wide-open neck for some songs too.

The capo is a great thing to pull out when you want to needle the bassist a bit.

[ozover50]

I use a capo when I'm playing along with certain tracks. Graham Bonnet's version of "It's All Over Now Baby Blue" is one example - a capo at the 3rd fret is just about obligatory if you want to have nice clean chords. I also use a capo on the 2nd fret for Travis' "Why Does It Always Rain On Me".

I keep one of my acoustics tuned down to Eb for Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" and then whack a capo on the 1st fret for normal tuning.

A capo is an essential item if you want to play along with recorded music IMO. I use a G7th capo, BTW - brilliant thing!! Beats the heck out of a Kyser.........

[leftyguitars]

I too use a G7th capo, the capo I ever bought!

[doctorwho]

A capo is, IMO, mandatory to get an accurate sound on some songs, an example of which is I'm Looking Through You (capo on first fret).

[jps]

I use a capo to give me different tonal colors. Capoing up at the 4th or 5th fret is great for nice chimy sounds.

[eatswodo]

I'd agree with most here - a capo is indispensible in some circumstances. For example, a lot of older hymns are notated in Bb, Ab or Eb. Sometimes it makes sense to do a chord-melody thing with barre chords and other 'closed' shapes - other times it's much better to have those open strings ringing out with the 'simpler' CAGED chord forms. The capo makes this possible, and is certainly not a substitute for ability in those cases.

My mechanical capo of choice, after many years with a Shubb, is the Planet Waves NS. Brilliant design. My electronic capo of choice is a feature of my Variax

[jps]

I recently dumped my Shubb for a NS, too! Much nicer and easier to adjust. I tried the highly touted G7th capo but the NS works nicer and doesn't cause buzzing like I was getting with the G7th.

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

I can't stand the mentality that tells people how NOT to play something, like there's some sort of talent competition. Capos are a tool, not a crutch for people who can't barre. You cannot play Here Comes The Sun without one...unless you sing bass.

Hey, does anyone know the best way to capo a 12-string acoustic? My low Es always dampen out on the high octave string because its so much thinner than the one next to it.

[stubby]

I have a special Shubb, given to me by a close bandmate and friend (on the occasion of me serving as his best man at the wedding). It's engraved with Stubby on it so, hence, it is a ...Stubby Shubby. Needless to say, I don't think I'll use another!

[nab]

Mark K - I have a 12-string capo. I think it's a Keyser. Works fine.

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

Thanks, Jack, I'll check one out.