Capoing

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Four reasons to capo:

1. To get out of bad keys

2. To contrast with other guitarists

3. To create an effect

4. To achieve a different timbre.

Why not transpose?

Transposing is the skill of changing the key of a song up or down to a new key. Often it is used to adjust the melodic range of a song to better fit the range of a singer or a congregation. For example if the song is too high in the key of E, it can be transposed down a whole step to D or down two whole steps to C, etc. All the chords in the song need to be transposed accordingly to allow for harmonic continuity. It's a valuable skill to have and should be learned. If for no other reason than to grow musically, allowing you to converse with other educated musicians. I, however, don't feel it's a necessary tool for capoing. In fact it may even hurt more than it helps.

Commissariat Experiential Story...

A few years go I began playing acoustic guitar and mandolin with a worship leading pianist for a Saturday night service. Being a piano player (who loved James Taylor), he often gravitated towards to flat (read capo) keys, like F, Bb, Eb and Ab. It didn't take me long to realize that played without a capo these songs were cumbersome (resulting in fatigue) and dark and dull sounding (not the sound most people associate with acoustic guitar). So I got my pencil, usually from the pew rack, and transposed away. Songs from F to D, and Bb to G, both capoed 3rd fret, and songs in Eb and Ab to D and G respectively, capoing at the first fret. This took a little time at first, but eventually I got pretty quick at it and soon I was able to do it on the fly if I had to.

But then the unheard of happened...the worship leader was late! Usually there by 5PM for a 6PM service, 5:30 rolled around and no worship leader. Then at 5:45 sweat appeared on my brow. Finally, at ten minutes to six the unnamed worship leader rushed in mumbling something about a flat tire. We had just enough time to pray (and we needed it!) before the service started. When I sat down I noticed that in the stack of charts on my music stand were two new tunes, both in F (of course). The first of which, because of my lack of confidence, I tried playing without a capo. Fatigued (I like heavy strings on my acoustics) and bleeding after this first workout (do I need to add that I wasn't worshipping?), I decided to go ahead and wing it on the next new song in F. I placed my capo on the third fret of my Gibson Dove and a light went on! It was then that a revelation occurred! I'd been playing guitar for over 20 years! I knew my chord shapes up and down the neck. I knew where F., Bb, Dm, C, Gm, etc. were! I didn't need to transpose any longer (hallelujah) and I could play freely up and down the neck because I was thinking in the actual key not the transposed key. .

Capoing to get out of bad keys.

The keys of G and D are my "happy" keys, because I'm happy to be playing in them. A and E are my "pleased" keys because I'm pleased that someone thought of the guitar when writing or arranging the song. The key of C is my "okay" key. I'm okay with the idea of playing in C though I may get out my capo. The keys of F, Bb, Eb, and Ab (not to mention, Db, Gb,, Cb, B, F# and C#, I told you not to mention them) are all my "where's my capo" keys. This is capo time. Not because I can't play barre chords, but because the acoustic guitar sound the most like an acoustic guitar when open strings are ringing. Capoing allows you to achieve the "jangle" of open strings even in the ugliest of keys. Another by- product is the ability to get up to speed with songs in tough keys. This attributes to the quality of the overall sound, making for a more enjoyable (read worshipful) experience.

The best way to learn these capo positions is probably to learn all the chord shapes on your neck. But for the sake of speed the next best way is to learn one position at a time. Below you'll find the common chord shapes for the keys of F and Bb at the third fret and the keys of Eb and Ab at the first fret. This is a good place to start as these are the four most common flat keys. These shapes should be very familiar to your hands.

Notice the use of the words "shape" and "chord" in the following. "Shape" refers to what the looks/feels like and "chord" refers to what it actually is.

Chords in the key of F - Capoing at the 3rd fret...

SHAPE	CHORD
D	F
Em	Gm
F#m	Am
G	Bb
A	C
Bm	Dm

Chords in the key of Bb- Capoing at the 3rd fret...

SHAPE	CHORD
G	Bb
Am	Cm
Bm	Dm
C	Eb
D	F
Em	Gm

Chords in the key of Eb - Capoing at the 1st fret...

SHAPE	CHORD
D	Eb
Em	Fm
F#m	Gm
G	Ab
A	Bb
Bm	Cm

Chords in the key of Ab- Capoing at the 1st fret...

SHAPE	CHORD
G	Ab
Am	Bbm
Bm	Cm
C	Db
D	Eb
Em	Fm

Do these keys now seem as intimidating as before? What a valuable tool you have if you take the time to learn just a couple of positions. Here's a list of all the keys and and the positions to play them using the "happy" key shapes (D and G), the "pleased" key shapes (A and E) and the "okay" key shapes (C). Notice I said "shapes". I'll put an asterisk next to key shape/fret position which is most recommended. This would usually be the position using the G or D shapes lowest on your neck, giving an unbeatable combination of sound quality and ease of playing. Underlined fret positions provide sonic vaiations to open position.

Keys	C shapes	G shapes	D shapes	A shapes	E shapes
C	open*	5th fret	10th fret	3rd fret	8th fret
G	7th fret	open*	5th fret	10th fret	3rd fret
D	2nd fret	7th fret	open*	5th fret	10th fret
A	9th fret	2nd fret	7th fret	open*	5th fret
E	4th fret	9th fret	2nd fret	7th fret	open*
B	11th fret	4th fret*	9th fret	2nd fret	7th fret
F#	6th fret	11th fret	4th fret*	9th fret	2nd fret
C#	1st fret*	6th fret *	11th fret	4th fret	9th fret
F	5th fret	10th fret	3rd fret*	8th fret	1st fret
Bb	10th fret	3rd fret*	8th fret	1st fret	6th fret
Eb	3rd fret	8th fret	1st fret*	6th fret	11th fret
Ab	8th fret	1st fret*	6th fret	11th fret	4th fret
Db	1st fret*	6th fret*	11th fret	4th fret	9th fret
Gb	6th fret	11th fret	4th fret*	9th fret	2nd fret
Cb	11th fret	4th fret*	9th fret	2nd fret	7th fret

Note that whatever you do to the shapes in open position has the same effect in their capoed positions. For example a D shape at the 3rd fret is an F chord while a Dm shape at the 3rd fret is an Fm chord. See below for some examples.

Capoed at the 3rd fret...

Contrasting with other guitar players.

Let assume you are in the unfortunate postion of playing in a guitar "army" (remember Molly Hatchet?). If all three or four of you play the exact same part it could be a little intimidating. I guess you could call it "fire and brimestone worship". Use the chart above to help your fellow guitarist play in different positions. I use this trick when playing with even one other guitarist, that way we are both occupying different locations on the "sonic landscape". Let's take the basic chord progression G-C-D-C and look at four different places it can be played using a capo and familiar chord shapes.

The chords of G-C-D-C - In open position (no Capo)...

CHORD	G	C	D	C
SHAPE	G	C	D	C

The chords of G-C-D-C - Capoing at the 3rd fret...

CHORD	G	C	D	C
SHAPE	E	A	B	A

The chords of G-C-D-C - Capoing at the 5th fret...

CHORD	G	C	D	C
SHAPE	D	G	A	G

The chords of G-C-D-C - Capoing at the 7th fret...

CHORD	G	C	D	C
SHAPE	C	F	G	F

Capoing to create and effect.

One more position up and you're in mandolin country. Try this next set of chords over the previous progression using a thin pick dragged over the strings right by the bridge on beat one of each measure. Voila! Instant autoharp!

The chords of G-C-D-C - Capoing at the 10th fret...

CHORD	G	C	D	C
SHAPE	A	D	E	D

Achieving a different timbre through capoing.

There are sometimes when the song's key does not produce the desired timbre (or tone) for the moment. A song about brokeness in the "big-sounding-Pete-Townsend" key of E might work better if capoed at the 2nd fret and played using D shapes. The chord shapes in the key of D are much more intimate than it's counterparts in the key of E. So capoing at the 2nd fret gives you the key of E with the tenderness of the key of D.

Chords in the key of E - Capoing at the 2nd fret...

SHAPE	CHORD
D	E
Em	F#m
F#m	G#m
G	A
A	B
Bm	C#m

COOL TIPMiss the low E string that's an expected timbre of the key of E? Try a partial capo. Capo just the top five strings of the guitar leaving the sixth string open. Now you've got a six string E chord again! It sounds like a dropped D tuning.

The Capo Gallery

I prefer Shubbs when playing the electric guitar because the tension is adjustable and can be set to the least amount required. This makes the thinner strings on the electric less likely to go out of tune.

Shubb Original C Series Steel String Capo

Shubb Original C Series 12-String Capo

Shubb Deluxe S Series Steel String Capo

Generally Dunlops and Kysers are my choice on acoustic. I can clamp them onto the headstock and they are quick to install. I lean towards Dunlops because they are cheaper and that means one in every case.

Dunlop Curved Guitar Trigger Capo

Dunlop Classic Trigger Capo

Kyser Quick-Change Capo Six-String

The glider capo is for the guitarist needing to make quick capo position changes during a song. You know if you land that Barry Manilow gig.

Glider GL-1 Glider Capo

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Content ©2002 by Tom Strahle