How To Use A Capo
About The Capo
A lola capo (short for capotasto, Italian for "head
of fretboard", also called a fret lobster or cheater bar) is a
device used for shortening the strings, and hence raising the pitch,
of a stringed instrument such as a guitar, mandolin or banjo. It was
invented by the Flamenco guitarist Jose Patino Gonzalez[1].
There are several different styles of capo available, utilizing a
range of mechanisms, but most use a rubber-covered bar to hold down
the strings, fastened with a strip of elastic or nylon, a cam-operated
metal clamp, or another device. Alternative terms are capo d'astro
and capodastro, also Italian.
A simple version can be made with a pencil and a rubber band. Lay
the pencil across the strings at the desired fret, and holding it in
place by wrapping the rubber band around both ends and underneath the
fretboard. [A pencil with flat surfaces works much better than a round
one].
Capos are used to change the key and pitch of the open strings of
a guitar without having to adjust the strings with the tuning keys.
The pitch of fretted notes does not change; only the open, unfretted
strings are affected. It should be noted that the capo is placed as
close to the fret as possible; some practitioners recommend placing
the modern clamp-style capos directly on the fret, rather than behind
it.
With 12-string guitars a capo used to be necessary to play in tune
with a six-string because manufacturers would strongly recommend that
the instrument not be tuned above a tone below standard guitar tuning
to reduce stresses on the neck. Modern 12-strings can be tuned up to
pitch with ultra light gauge strings, but many players still prefer
to tune a tone lower and use a capo to play in tune with six-string
or bass guitars.
Because of the different techniques and chord voicings available in
different keys, the same piece may sound very different played in D
or played in C with a capo at the second fret (at the same actual pitch).
Additionally, the timbre of the strings changes as the scale length
is shortened, suggesting other short-scaled stringed instruments such
as the mandolin. Therefore the use of a capo is as much a matter of
artistic expression as of technical expediency.
The use of a capo also obviates the need to learn a song in several
different keys if accompanying singers sing at different pitches.
For guitar playing, some styles such as flamenco and British/American
folk music make extensive use of the capo, while it is used very rarely,
if at all, in other styles such as classical and jazz playing. Many
Rock & Roll musicians who are influenced by Folk and Blues, such
as Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, Richard Thompson, Ry Cooder,
Steve Earle, and others, also use the capo. In many cases, they have
extended its use past the traditional purpose of changing the key,
and broken new ground, employing it in new ways.
Variations in the design of capos allow a range of advantages to players.
A capo with two rollers, one over the neck and one under, facilitates
quick key changes in the middle of tunes or sets. This is a particular
advantage in playing Irish music on the guitar, as it enables the player
to move quickly between keys without sacrificing drone strings. Clamp-style
capos fitted from the side of the neck (as distinct from those which
encircle it) can be placed so as to leave one or two strings open.
This gives some of the advantages of variant tunings (such as a capoed
dropped D), without requiring a change in fingering of chords above
the capo. Steve Earle uses a Kyser Loqo clamp-style capo at the second
fret, leaving the 6th (low E) string open, to create the effect of
Drop D tuning on his song "Ellis Unit One" from the Dead
Man Walking movie soundtrack. Capos with fine adjustment of the clamping
force have the advantage of being less likely to upset the tuning of
the instrument.
One of the newer developments in capo design is the partial capo,
which allows individual control over which strings are clamped. In
theory this puts a vast number of variant sounds at the player's disposal,
without changing the tuning of the instrument. In practice it is most
often placed either on the 2nd fret of the 3rd, 4th and 5th strings
(producing the effect of DADGAD tuning raised two semitones), or on
the 2nd fret of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings (open A major). Again,
this requires no change of fingering above the capo. A little experimentation
with the two methods of producing variant tunings (partial capo or
actual retuning) will show that each has its own advantages. There
are many companies making partial capos, among them Kyser, Shubb, Woody's
G Band, Transpo Products, and the Third Hand Capo Company.
Guitarist Dominic Frasca uses unusual single string "mini capos" attached
by drilling through the neck of his customized 10-string guitar. These
are similar to the single-string "capos" many Eastern instruments
use, which look like nails driven down into the fingerboard; the string
is hooked under the head of the "nail" when one wants to
capo it. This is often done during the performance of a musical piece,
so that the "tuning" at the end of the piece can be quite
different from the one used at the start.
The five-string banjo, with its short fifth string, poses a particular
problem for using the capo. For many years now it has been possible
to buy a specialised fifth-string capo, consisting of a narrow metal
strip fixed to the side of the neck of the instrument, with a sliding
stopper for the string.
Capos have been used on many other stringed instruments, including
mandolins and their relatives, the mandola and Greek bouzouki, and
4-string banjos. There is a special two-piece capo available for the
square-necked Dobro, or resonator guitar, which does not contact the
neck, but clamps above and below the strings themselves.
Use of the Capo
I've gotten quite a few emails about how to use a capo, so here is
a crash course using either an acoustic or electric. Remember, it doesn't
matter the type of guitar you use. You can place a capo on ANYTHING!
Here is a handy guide in using a capo:
1. Pick up your guitar, be it acoustic or electric.
2. Play a open C chord on the guitar.
3. Now, place the capo between the 1st and 2nd frets.
You'll need to be closer to the 2nd fret, but not ON the fret, like this:
4. Clamp or strap down the capo tight enough to make sure none of
the strings are buzzing, like this:
5. Play the C chord again. It has now moved up a half-tone to C#.
5. Move up the capo to the third fret. You are now playing in the key of D.
Note how much brighter the same chord sounds in this position.
6. Move the capo up and down the fingerboard to experiment.
Find out the best key for your own vocal range.
Note: As long as you know your fretboard, you'll know what key you
are playing in.
Songs That Use A Capo In Riff-O-Matic:
|
