capo

how do you use a capo? And what exactly does it do? Ive been wondering because i see tabs that say capo on the third fret. Please let me know. Thanks.

It's a thing that looks similar to this:



It goes around the frets to raise the pitch of the strings.

A capo is used as a tool or a crutch. If you have the music for a song you want to sing, but can't sing that low, you can use the capo as a tool to raise the pitch of the song. You can use it as a crutch when you don't know or can't play the chords listed. It moves the nut of the guitar (fret zero.) When you play a D chord in first position, you play frets 2 3 and 2 on the first three strings.
Putting a capo on lets you use the same relative finger position to play other chords. Put the capo on the 3rd fret and play the D chord shape (2, 3 and 2 frets above the capo) or frets 5,6, and 5 in reality and you play an F chord.
In the following example, the Bb chord is a barre chord and is difficult for new players. Put a capo on the 3rd fret and play a G shape and there it is.

Hey Jude simple version
(Lennon/McCartney)
Beatles
F C
Hey Jude dont make it bad
C7 F
take a sad song and make it better
Bb F
Remember to let her into your heart
C F
and then you can start to make it better

IN D WITH CAPO ON 3
D A
Hey Jude dont make it bad
A7 D
take a sad song and make it better
G D
Remember to let her into your heart
A D
and then you can start to make it better

(chords at the beginning and end of line, formatting did not stay when importing-use your musicality to play it correctly)

Originally Posted by: MFergusonA capo is used as a tool or a crutch. If you have the music for a song you want to sing, but can't sing that low, you can use the capo as a tool to raise the pitch of the song. You can use it as a crutch when you don't know or can't play the chords listed.

i will never feel ashamed at using the "cheating stick" and i don't care how many talented hard practicing guitar player's sneer at me when I oull out the capo for difficult chords.

how do u know what fret to put it on if the song dosen;t tell u to...
like B flat can go on 1st or 3rd but how do u know that it does can
someone explain this to me please....

iwant2playgetar :confused:

I use a web site logue.net
They have a capo/fret number matrix that you can print out for reference.

You have to transpose the song. Enter the chord(s) and the original key of the song. The key is usually the first chord in the song.

Pick a new key, (thats where the matrix comes in. When you hit "transpose"
it will display new chords. Use the capo on the appropriate fret and play those chord shapes. IE-if original is in C, and you change it to A, you would put the capo on the 3rd fret and play the new chord shapes. In this example you only change the chord shapes you play. The song should still sound the same. Play along with the original, and there should be no difference in sound.
Sometimes you have to try several different new keys to find chords that you can play, if you are looking the play simpler chords.


If you want to change the key of the song for singing ease, play the new chords without a capo. This raises or lowers the pitch of the song.

So what fret would i put my capo on for d flat....??
all i could do on the link was look at chord finguring???

iwant2playgetar

OK, its a weird (hard to navigate) web site. Go to the chord finder page, at the bottom is the capo chart link. Use it/print it to find how to change the key that you are in, to the key you want by placing the capo on the appropriate fret.

As far as you question about Db, more information is needed. You want to play Db or you want to change some other chord into a Db?

i want to play in the key of Db.....

This is very over-simllified, but...

Did you find the chart to change the key with a capo? Refer to it as needed.

If the first chord in the original song is D, puting the capo on the first fret and playing a D shaped chord makes that a Db. Play the same shaped chords as in the oringial song with the capo on the 1st fret all the way through.

The first chord is usually the original key of the song (simplified)

for Db only:
first chord capo on fret
D 1
E 3
F 4
G 6
A 8
B 10
C 12

Bear in mind that you can't really play with the capo much above 7. Your guitar starts to sound like a Ukalale.

thanx man..... :)