Capos – those little spring-loaded clamps you see some guitar players use – are something most guitarists carry with them constantly. You’ll rarely see a folk singer without one either in place or ready to use, clipped to his guitar’s headstock. They are a vital tool for every guitarist who either sings or plays with other musicians. Read on for a quick look at the basics.
A capo can be used for a huge number of different things. I once watched a guitarist use two or three at a time, moving them around over the course of a song, to create different harmonics. This article, however, is just going to focus on the basics. There are two primary uses for a capo: to change the key of a song, or to open up alternate chord voicings.
Capo Technique
But first, a few pointers. When you place your capo, place it just slightly down-string from the fret, making sure to keep the capo parallel to the fret. Sometimes the capo will bind on one of the strings, making the guitar sound out of tune, but that’s okay. Just loosen it and re-tighten and it should sound fine. Bear in mind, however, that if your guitar has poor intonation then you will gradually slip out of tune as you place the capo higher and higher up on the neck.
Changing the Key
This is the most common way to use a capo. Perhaps you have a song you want to sing, but the range is too low for you. Well, you capo up a couple of frets, and viola, you’re in a new key, without having to play the song any different.
For example, let’s say you’re playing the chord progression G-D-Am-C. (You’re in the key of G-Major). But you can’t quite hit those low notes. So you capo up two frets, and play the chords the exact same way. Now you’re playing in the key of A major, with the chords, A-E-Bm-D.
This is also useful when playing with a keyboard player. For a piano player to switch from G-D-Am-C to A-E-Bm-D requires him to rethink all of the chords. So if he knows the song in A, and you know it in G, a capo means he can play it the way he’s comfortable and you can play it the way you’re comfortable, and everything is fine.
Changing Chord Voicings
This is particularly useful when playing with a group of guitarists. Let’s go back to that same chord progression. Play – without the capo – A-E-Bm-D. Then put the capo on the second fret, and play it again, this time using a G-shape and C-shape chords.
Notice how different it sounds? An “A” chord sounds different if you play it open (in tabulature, x02220 from low to high) or if you play a G-shaped chord with a capo on the second fret. The differences are subtle, but as you gain experience you’ll find uses for these different chord voicings.
This is useful when playing with a group. Three guitarists playing the same chord progression can sound muddy. But by using a capo you can find a radically different chord voicing.
Sticking with our G-D-Am-C progression, put your capo on the fifth fret. Now you get the G chord by playing a D-shaped chord, a D chord by playing an A-shaped chord, an Am by playing an Em-shaped chord, and a C by playing G-shaped chord. (That may sound confusing, but pick up your guitar and put the capo on, and it’ll become clear). By playing this when another guitarist is playing without a capo, you give each other more space, and it makes the guitars more distinct.
It may be confusing at first, but will a little practice you’ll pick it up quickly. (One final note, though: Many online chords will tell you that there’s a capo on a given fret, and then list the chords relative to the capo. This usually makes it easier to read, as you don’t have to transpose in your head to find the chords, but it can be confusing when you first start. The key is just to play as if the capo was your guitar’s nut. Just forget it’s there, and voila!)
Happy playing!
