Using capos to change keys is an amazing way to open your world of music. Playing the same songs in different keys can give an entirely different feel to any old tune. If you have ever picked up and played the same song on different guitars you know what I mean. Just as the same song will sound different on different guitars, the same song will often feel and sound different when you change keys using a capo.
If you are a vocalist using a capo is especially helpful. It will allow you to not have to learn a new way of playing. Moving the capo up and down the neck allows you to play at a higher or lower pitch. Songs that were written and performed outside of your range can easily be dropped or raised to a range that you can sing comfortably. I use to thing I didn’t need a capo and could always learn to play in open tuning what I didn’t realize is that I was making things much harder than they needed to be.
Playing in the open position without the capo you are usually playing in the key of E. The base note and the high note are both E. If a capo is used and placed on the third fret you have just moved up to the key of G. The more you play the more you will begin to know where you are comfortable. For some reason I naturally try singing the higher end of my range so whenever I can key down it seems to help my performance.
Capos come in all sorts of different colors and styles. Some of them operate on came locks while others use a spring mechanism. Personally I prefer the Kyser quick change. They are easy to put on and will stay in place as you play. The quick change is nice as well, especially if you are playing live. When you need to drop back down to open tuning you simply clamp the capo to your headstock and you are good to go.
What is the best acoustic guitar capo? In part it would depend on who you ask but, the one capo you will see on more acoustic guitars than any other is the Kyser Quick Change Capo. The reason for this is Kyser has been around for a long time and they make a quality product. I have been using my quick change capo for years and I love it.
The cool thing about the Kyser capo is that it is easy to put on and take off for quick key changes if you are playing live. The other benefit is that it works. The design allows for zero buzzing and the strings stay in place if you are doing some bends.
I’m sure an argument can be made as to why other capos are better than Keysers but take mental note when you go to your next few concerts, what capos are they using? Ill bet you see more Kysers than you do any other.
It is not uncommon to see a player jamming away in an acoustic set using a capo but a sight that is uncommon is capo electric guitar playing. Why is this? I would say it is the combination of two things, a stylistic preference and that the majority of musicians that need a capo for a quick key change are singer song writers with a single interment, an acoustic guitar.
This doesn’t mean that capo electric guitar musicians have it wrong. In fact I would say it is quite the contrary. Music is about personal expression and using and capo on an electric guitar could very well fit into some ones niche quite well.
If anyone can find a youtube video of people playing electric guitar and using a capo let us know and I will post the link.
If you are new to playing guitar and are looking at beginning guitar lessons listen up. There are a lot of teachers out there that would love to charge you $20.00 an hour of more to show you what they know but keep in mind it is not just what they know but how well they can teach. The best guitarist in the world can make the worst teacher.
In the early stages of learning guitar you need someone that can come along side you and show you the ropes not play every song in existence with their eyes closed. This may seem a bit counter intuitive but think about it. Kinder garden teachers aren’t required doctorates they are required to know how children think and learn. The same is true when you are looking into beginning guitar lesions. Find someone that knows how to teach you.
A quick Google search or a trip to the local music store will provide you a list of local instructors. Pick the ones in the list that look like they are good for a beginner and give them a call. Let them know you are looking at getting started and are curious how about their curriculum. If they say they follow a book hang up the phone. Its ok if a book is used but it should not be the only resource. I had one instructor who taught from a book but copied all of the pages off so it looked like his own. He didn’t dial into my needs, strengths, and weaknesses and consequently I was discouraged and quite going.
It is worth finding a good teacher from the get go. Spending the time to find a quality teacher can mean the difference between sticking with guitar and giving it up completely.
For you parents out there this may be a little difficult as you don’t fully know the best way for your child to learn an interment but you do know your child so be patient and listen to the feedback they give. If there isn’t excitement you are wasting both your time and money.
Find a good teacher and you will find the excitement.
For those of you who have not had the opportunity to play with a capo I suggest you just buy one. They are not a huge expense and I know you are going to love playing with one. It doesn’t take any thing to learn how to play and a whole new world will be open to you.
There is a ton of information on this site regarding brands and types of capos so do some reading and find one that you think will work for you.
If you have any questions fell free to ask them here or on the specific page that talks about the capo you are looking into.
If you are a beginning guitarist there is no better way to get good fast then to learn guitar songs. The problem with learning a lot of songs is that the technical skills required can often times be too cumbersome to the new player. So, how can you open up a complete list of songs with out having to learn a ton of chords and voicing’s? big surprise here, use a capo.
Using a capo will allow you to play all open chords while allowing you to stay in the key the song was written in. If you are a singer/songwriter you will find this especially useful because you can spend your time working on the song and less time figuring out chords.
Here is an open tuning chord progression in the key of C(open position, no capo). The chords are the I (one), IV (four), and V (five).
The I chord
C major;
E |~——–|———|———|———|———|
B |~—1—-|———|———|———|———|
G |~——–|———|———|———|———|
D |~——–|—-2—-|———|———|———|
A |~——–|———|—-3—-|———|———|
E |~——–|———|———|———|———|
The IV chord
F major;
E |~——–|———|———|———|———|
B |~—1—-|———|———|———|———|
G |~——–|—-2—-|———|———|———|
D |~——–|———|—-3—-|———|———|
A |~——–|———|———|———|———|
E |~——–|———|———|———|———|
The V chord
G major
E |~——–|———|—-3—-|———|———|
B |~——–|———|———|———|———|
G |~——–|———|———|———|———|
D |~——–|———|———|———|———|
A |~——–|—-1—-|———|———|———|
E |~——–|———|—-2—-|———|———|
Learn to play these three chords and you will be able to play a ton of songs out there. Change the tempo or the progression and you can create a whole new song.
Like anything there is a bit of a learning curve but stick with it and you will get there.
Why does my guitar buzz when I use a capo? If your guitar buzzes when you use a capo I would venture to guess it also buzzes when you play with out the capo. Buzzing occurs when a vibrating string is hitting another fret, or residual vibrations in the guitar cause other loose components to rattle/buzz. This can happen quite easily with acoustic electric wiring and hardware that had become loose over the years or was not installed correctly.
If it is loose wiring or components the fix is quite simple, tighten things up. Make sure all of the mounting hardware is tight and all of the loose wires are bound. In some cases it may even be a battery vibrating against an internal wall. In cases such as this one can simply wrap a shim around the battery so it doesn’t have any room to move. Be sure not to use a conductive material.
If on the other hand the buzzing is coming from a string hitting another fret the fix is a bit more involved. The easiest thing to do is to bring the guitar to a luthier and have them take care of it. They have the skills and tools to dress your frets, correctly adjust your truss rod, or make any number of other adjustments that may be required. It is a good idea to bring your guitar in every so often for this any way. Like a car your guitar if used regularly will need a tune up.
So the short of it is that it is not the capo that is causing the buzzing, it is the guitar.
“I am looking to buy a capo but I don’t know what the differences between acoustic and electric capos.”
The short of it is that there is no difference between electric and acoustic capos. As you well know there is quite a difference between acoustic and electric guitars but when it comes to using a capo it would be hard to go wrong. Once you find something you like you can use it playing some blue grass or blues around a camp fire or rocking out while plugged into your stack.
That being said one thing to consider may be the shape of the neck. Some guitars have a very flat neck while other have “C” or “V” shaped necks. This could make a difference if the capo you chose has a notch that that neck indexes into. This won’t be a huge issue if your guitar is a fairly standard model.
Another issue that may be worth thinking about is the gage of your strings. If you use really heavy strings you may want a go with a capo that has slightly stronger clamping power. If on the other hand you use supper light gage strings any capo should do you fine.
So, all and all don’t worry about if you need specially an “acoustic guitar capo” or an “electric guitar capo” instead be thinking about what you like to use and if it works you will be fine.
Capo prices range quite greatly but you shouldn’t expect to pay more then fifty bucks. Like anything else you get what you pay for and the market offers capos of all qualities. The following list is a quick snap shot of what you could expect to pay;
