First rule of capo club is..

[newpedals]

you don't talk about capo club.

Seriously, how often do you use a capo?

Do you think those who use them often are not good guitar players?

I know it's kind of a cliche.

I don't use it often but sometimes I need to use a capo.

 

[Blix]

If you use it just to get access to the cowboy chords everywhere, yes you suck.
But many use it for the changes in timbre you get using one, super useful when layering guitars.

 

[la szum]

It's a staple in Nashville---stage and studios alike. Nashville is far from dumb.

I've used Capos in the past (occasionally starting a song without putting it
on the proper fret, too). Doh!


Great for layering as Blix pointed out, and also for finding a better key for a
singer's voice. That's one of the primary (if not the primary) uses of the Capo
in Nashville. Can get to them open chords and get what are essentially open
strings to ring out without changing tuning or guitars.

Tools are tools. Nothing cliche about them.

 

[Warmart]

It's a staple in Nashville---stage and studios alike. Nashville is far from dumb.

I've used Capos in the past (occasionally starting a song without putting it
on the proper fret, too). Doh!


Great for layering as Blix pointed out, and also for finding a better key for a
singer's voice. That's one of the primary (if not the primary) uses of the Capo
in Nashville. Can get to them open chords and get what are essentially open
strings to ring out without changing tuning or guitars.

Tools are tools. Nothing cliche about them.

So you're saying we need to go to Bro Country concerts, and pummel the "band" with Capos, in order to fix the singing?

That's what I got out of it, lmao.

And the only thing I use a Capo for is checking relief. But that means nothing for anyone else's usage! If they help you get what you want, use them!!

 

[newholland]

i use mine all the time in alternate tunings, as well as for, well, most music that requires singers and another guitar?

its not cause i can't play without one- but largely because standard tuning has limitations tonally, and sometimes you also need to fill space with open strings. why limit voicings?

 

[HomespunEffects]

The worship band that I was in always used one. What I hated was that they would tell me the song is in A and it would be in G.

The worship pastor once offered me a capo and I just said “No, I’m ok.” His reply was “What? You’re too good to use a capo?” He was a weird duck.

I know my chords, Daffy.

 

[OrganicZed]

Capos are fun for getting a different sound out of the open chord shapes. They are also useful if you need to change keys on the fly and are not great at doing on the spot transposition (as is the case for myself).

 

[la szum]

So you're saying we need to go to Bro Country concerts, and pummel the "band" with Capos, in order to fix the singing?

That's what I got out of it, lmao.

And the only thing I use a Capo for is checking relief. But that means nothing for anyone else's usage! If they help you get what you want, use them!!

 

[la szum]

Tough crowd @newpedals . I applaud your tenacity.

I hope you don't end up wishing you would have abided by Capo Club's No. 1 Rule here.

 

[Mikael Dez]

If a song is played/written with a capo, I'll use one when I play it or practice it - if not, I won't! I think I'd only really use it on original music if it helped get to a better key for a singer as has been said already.

 

[HomespunEffects]

Tough crowd @newpedals . I applaud your tenacity.

I hope you don't end up wishing you would have abided by Capo Club's No. 1 Rule here.

Yeah, @newpedals I wasn’t saying they’re not a useful tool.

Just in my case it wasn’t really necessary to use one for a 3 chord Worship song. Generally, a capo is not a part of my toolbox.

 

[Mikael Dez]

The worship band that I was in always used one. What I hated was that they would tell me the song is in A and it would be in G.

The worship pastor once offered me a capo and I just said “No, I’m ok.” His reply was “What? You’re too good to use a capo?” He was a weird duck.

I know my chords, Daffy.

I wouldn't be able to not call it "the song in G that y'all think is in A" each and every time lol

 

[newholland]

fingerstyle, sometimes you also need to keep a position that allows you to move inside chords, and if a singers range, or your hand reach limits, sometimes moving two frets north can save a world of strain. still puzzled why good tools would indicate you can't play. keith richards removes a whole string off his guitar, and usually plays in open g, and nobodys like 'dude cant play', but using a capo is a cheating okaaaaaay..

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

Who uses capos?

Poseurs, that's who.

 

[TSJMajesty]

And the only thing I use a Capo for is checking relief.

Same. Except for acoustic. Can't bend strings using a capo.

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

But seriously folks...

The capo has a negative connotation to it because of the proliferation of "fake book" Esteban-brand-guitar-wielding guitarist wannabes over the decades who like to sit around the campfire with their friends telling stories... until they whip out the capo'ed acoustic and play the super easy cowboy chord version of Sweet Child O' Mine or similar in hopes of impressing everyone.

You know, like these twatfiddles:



But the capo has been used in a professional manner; no doubt.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I possibly use capos *way* too little due to misguided self-pride ("You need to be able to play this without a capo!").
And yes, I'm serious, because very often, capo-ed open chords sound quite different from barred chords, even if you can play them. Needless to say that there's gazillions of more possible voicing options when using a capo.

 

[Mikael Dez]

But seriously folks...

The capo has a negative connotation to it because of the proliferation of "fake book" Esteban-brand-guitar-wielding guitarist wannabes over the decades who like to sit around the campfire with their friends telling stories... until they whip out the capo'ed acoustic and play the super easy cowboy chord version of Sweet Child O' Mine or similar in hopes of impressing everyone.

You know, like these twatfiddles:



But the capo has been used in a professional manner; no doubt.

I'm not knocking the product, but those actors are atrocious and the writers of this commercial should feel bad

 

[HomespunEffects]

But seriously folks...

The capo has a negative connotation to it because of the proliferation of "fake book" Esteban-brand-guitar-wielding guitarist wannabes over the decades who like to sit around the campfire with their friends telling stories... until they whip out the capo'ed acoustic and play the super easy cowboy chord version of Sweet Child O' Mine or similar in hopes of impressing everyone.

You know, like these twatfiddles:



But the capo has been used in a professional manner; no doubt.

Where are the guitartricks.com avatars?

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

His reply was “What? You’re too good to use a capo?”

Bet the irony of his own statement went way over his head, too.