How many of you use a Capo?

Modern Saint

Modern Saint

Starve your Fear, Feed your Dream!
Just thought I would throw that question out here.

When I first started playing eons ago, I bought one to make songs somewhat easier to play as barre chords hurt my finger pads. As I became a better player, the need for it kind of disappeared. Around late 2003 when my Rush tribute was gigging, we wanted to do Big Money. We rehearsed the song and it was relatively easy to do except the false harmonics. A fellow Rush fan told me that Alex Capo's the 2nd fret and plays the tune that way. DAMN....all the harmonics fell into place and a majority of the chords became open voicings. This song was now really easy to play.

Circle to 2010-2013.
My last tribute band was a Journey tribute which was short live in 2009 made me realize that I want to now play the music I want to play. If another tribute came up that I liked, I would do it but I wanted play blues and start performing acoustically. With my interest with the blues and certain artists, I have come to discover the use of the capo again. Really applies nicely for open licks and phrases which are traditional to certain artists. I also have discovered the many uses as I have returned to solo acoustic guitar playing. As continue to build my repertoire, I noticed that some songs require this invention as well as some tunes with alternate tunings.

For a Capo, I use a Kyser that I bought in 2003 because of the tune from Rush - Big Money.

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So Weinerworld.....

Do you use a Capo?
Do you have the need for one?
What brand or type of Capo do you use if own one?
 
I do when its useful. I learned from Harkenrider a few years ago that lots of the Chicago blues guys used capos to move their open position country blues ideas around into other keys...not the "cheater bar" I was taught it was in the 80's :)
 
I have and use the same model silver Kyser you've got. I've also got a spider capo, and a short capo. Sometimes I use all three at once :thu:
 
I use these. I order them out of China for 2 bucks a piece. They work great! I use them for Rain on the Scarecrow and You Wreck Me.
capo.jpg
 
I have two of the G7 capos... I keep one on my Taylor T5 at all times and one on my PRS at all times.

My set list specifically states capo positions for each song.

When singing and playing at the same time, many of the open positions make more sense instead of jumping up to some chord that requires looking down at your instrument... on a dark stage... when the mic is already in your face.

Even at home, once I've learned a song, I practice it with an unplugged mic on a stand so I have the feel for the chords and the mic in my face so I'm not looking at the frets.

Back to the capo.... There are many songs that I can do in different keys depending on how my voice feels that night, who else I'm performing it with (what key they learned it in) and what other song it might bookend with.

Capos, Acoustic Guitars, and a Strobe Tuner are three things that I went 20 years without ever owning.... now they're the most valuable pieces of my rig. :baimun:
 
The whole "cheating" thing... :lol: :facepalm:

Yeah, I use one a lot, on both acoustic and electric. IIRC I have a couple metal Dunlop ones for gigging/recording, and a couple cheap plastic backups.The reasons:

1)Sometimes I just feel like it. I might be coming up with a chord progression and just throw it on for a different sound.

2)Sometimes I will want to play chords on the higher frets with open droning strings. A capo can help get the right sounds for the right key.

3)Possibly my favorite: when recording layered rhythm guitars, I like to double or triple parts by playing the "same" chords, but capo'ed up somewhere. For instance, if the song uses Emaj I'll maybe do a 2nd fret capo and play the Dmaj shape. You get some really interesting textures this way. The fun really starts when you start making subtle variations, like playing a major seventh high up over a regular major chord, or even playing the relative major/minor. Or even droning one high-up chord over a whole progression, stuff like that.
 
I have one of the steinberger designed planet waves one... Nice but I only use a capo occasionally
 
Yes.

If you think you can accompany a flamenco singer without one, you will find yourself without a gig instead. Bring your tools to work. :shrug:

Also pretty essential for playing lap-style dobro.
 
I don't consider it cheating if the song sounds better because of it. Imagine playing a James Taylor song in the same key without a capo and making it sound good. Ouch. I did a series of videos on the subject starting here...



Never got many views on them. Probably because of my ugly mug.
 
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Yes. Mostly for blues for getting open string licks in any key. Especially for slide playing. I keep one guitar in open D and capo on 2nd fret.

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Capos are very useful.

One thing I often do while recording for a huge acoustic guitar sound is do one track with normal tuning, and then another track on top of it with a capo at the 5th or 7th. Sounds enormous. :)
 
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