How many of you...

[Crawldaddy]

Hmm.


... actually use a capo? For those who have no idea what a capo is, this is a generic capo:

And also who use it for acoustic or electric or other purposes? Maybe you could share some of your own experiences as to how you have used your capo in creative ways (e.g for song-writing or just fiddlign aroundetc).

 

[Guest]

i dun even know what it does :?

 

[Guest]

arent u a bassist chester?

 

[Crawldaddy]

Hmm.

Well a Capo is very useful for guitarists who want to play a song in the key of G# (for example lah), but they want to retain their usual chord shapes so they use a capo to fix it one fret upwards from the nut and still use their normal chords, but it's transposed upwards.

This is applicable to other keys and chord shapes, so depending on how a player would want their song to sound they can use chord shapes which do not belong to their usual chord names if you get what I mean.

 

[Guest]

arent u a bassist chester?

yes and well, mark hoppus of blink-182 uses a capo sometimes too.

and thanx for the info 'daddy :lol:

 

[Crawldaddy]

Hmm.

^^ cheers man, but i haven't reallly heard of a capo being used for bass. Anyone to enlighten me?

 

[Guest]

chester tts news to me..heh..i nvr knew..cos i was never into mark hoppus..or blink 182..

but is the capo strong enuff to barre the strings??

we're talkin abt BASS strings here man.. :lol:

 

[Crawldaddy]

Hmm.

depends on what kind of capo you are using lah. If you want to use those weaker strap-on type (which may be meant for usage within the 1st 4-5 frets and on lighter-gauge strings or maybe just for the 'trial-for-use' player), then of course it would fail miserably on the bass guitar.

Unless of course your bass has super-low action throughout the entire neck.

However, there are plenty of 'stronger' capoes out there which can capo a guitar on the 5th fret and onwards.

 

[nitrovo]

nah, got a couple around the house but I dont use em. My dad uses em when playing his classical guitar though.

 

[Crawldaddy]

Hmm.

I remember reading a guitar book abt 3 years ago and I read up about this blues guitarist called Albert Collins:

And that guy has his Telecaster capoed up to the 9th FRET!!!!

Amazing, how people have adapted this little contraption to their own definitive style.

 

[Santa]

well most of the time i stick onto my headstock

i can hear like a tiny bit of difference (1 sec more sustain )

oh well, thats the most innovative way i've used it.

 

[imsuchajoker]

Wo 1 sec more sustain with the capo on the headstock 8O

kidding? right?

 

[XJAPAN]

How's the effect in piano perspective? Ain't good in guitar but understand in terms of piano lol.

But must that cap be that 'stylo', saw some looks just like a clip, any difference ?

 

[Santa]

well i guess its around 1 second

but then again mines one of those heavy metal capos

try la!

 

[Crawldaddy]

Hmm.

This kind of leads me to wonder if capos add or suck tone, esp since they use a rubber grip thingie and *thinks to self*..

would rubber from the capo suck tone/sustain?

 

[shioks76]

capo is essential if you're gigging or playing in any band!!
Its not difficult to use also.

eg. Just today cos of the lead singers vocal range, in church was forced to play in the key of a#. Would have dieded without a capo man.

 

[daryl]

yeah i use it to change the key without changing my chord shapes. helps in songwriting when you wanna do things fast. useful, but not necessary.

 

[atee]

would rubber from the capo suck tone/sustain?

Sustain won't be as good with a capo on imo. Sounds fuller without.

I for one can't live without a capo. Hahaha.

As for cool uses of the capo, a tab I saw of the Eagles' Hotel California comes to mind:

....
Note: now 12-string acoustic guitar with capo on the7th freet.

			    (Guitar 1)
|-----------0-----|-------2-----|-------0-------|-----------0-|
|-------0---------|-----0---2-4-|-----3-----3---|-------0-----|
|-----0---0---0-2-|---2---------|---2-----2---2-|-----0---0---|
|---2-------------|-1-----------|-0-------------|---2---------|
|-----------------|-------------|---------------|-4-----------|
|-0---------------|-------------|---------------|-------------|

			        (Guitar 1)
|-----------0-------|-------3-------|-----------0---|-----------2-|
|-------1-----------|-----0-----0---|-------1-------|-------0-----|
|-----0-----------0-|---0-----0-----|-----0---0-----|---0-2---2---|
|---2-----2---0h2---|---------------|---2-----------|-------------|
|-3-----------------|-2-------------|-0-------------|-2-----------|
|-------------------|-------------3-|-------------0-|-------------|
....

(Taken from http://ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/e/eagles/hotel_california_live_ver2_tab.htm )

Sounds better rather than trying to barre out those chords. (Plus it's a 12 string. Makes things so much easier.)

 

[guitarnub]

i do, kinda have to switch between heavy and lighter songs in my band, very useful piece o equipment

 

[Crawldaddy]

Hmm.

^^ haha!! I once tried playing that part with my forefinger barring the 7th fret!

Wasn't that successful, though. But that part has to be played by a seperate guitarist for it to work out right in the context of that particular song.