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First rule of capo club is..
- Thread starter newpedals
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david57strat
Groupie
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I tend to occasionally use a capo or partial capo on my acoustic, when it's thrown in an open tuning and I want a different voicing to that open chord.
The open notes also ring better, if doing some cover tunes (that may or may not happen to use some "cowboy" chords LOL, as opposed to barreing, or partially barreing those chords.
I tend not to do covers much, but if someone wanted to do Dust in the Wind, for example, and they wanted the exact same notation, but was uncomfortable singing it in the original key of in A Minor, I'd capo to wherever was needed, so the playing fit with their vocal range, maintaining the exact same note structure and fingerstyle patterns of the song.
If I'm recording, I may not use a capo at all, but something like an EHX Pitch Fork, to accomplish similar results, if all the strings are being transposed to the same range, but without having to re-tune or capo the guitar. Since I'd be wearing headphones, I couldn't hear the difference between the actual notes and the transposed ones.
Some notes just need to ring! That's part of the magic of a capo.
Also, as others mentioned, playing in different keys, but making the capo transpose those keys so they end up being the same (key), gives you a huge range of layers to work with. These can really thicken up combined chordal (arpegiated) passages in a way that may not be as sweet (without all the open notes), otherwise.
Open tunings, tastefully combined with delay and/or reverb, can create some beautiful ambient textures, some of which (if doing volume swells, for instance) may sound very...non-guitarish.
There's no rule that says a guitar has to always sound like a guitar :-). As long as it serves the song, who cares?
The open notes also ring better, if doing some cover tunes (that may or may not happen to use some "cowboy" chords LOL, as opposed to barreing, or partially barreing those chords.
I tend not to do covers much, but if someone wanted to do Dust in the Wind, for example, and they wanted the exact same notation, but was uncomfortable singing it in the original key of in A Minor, I'd capo to wherever was needed, so the playing fit with their vocal range, maintaining the exact same note structure and fingerstyle patterns of the song.
If I'm recording, I may not use a capo at all, but something like an EHX Pitch Fork, to accomplish similar results, if all the strings are being transposed to the same range, but without having to re-tune or capo the guitar. Since I'd be wearing headphones, I couldn't hear the difference between the actual notes and the transposed ones.
Some notes just need to ring! That's part of the magic of a capo.
Also, as others mentioned, playing in different keys, but making the capo transpose those keys so they end up being the same (key), gives you a huge range of layers to work with. These can really thicken up combined chordal (arpegiated) passages in a way that may not be as sweet (without all the open notes), otherwise.
Open tunings, tastefully combined with delay and/or reverb, can create some beautiful ambient textures, some of which (if doing volume swells, for instance) may sound very...non-guitarish.
There's no rule that says a guitar has to always sound like a guitar :-). As long as it serves the song, who cares?
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maguchi
Roadie
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- 100
Naah there's chords in 6 of the 12 keys in open position. 4 more keys at 1st position and the last two in 2nd position. Think I may of tried a capo once or twice on a acoustic a long time ago. But it was more just like a novelty to see what it was about. It din't stick. Been playing in E standard with no capo in all 12 keys ever since.
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Sascha Franck
Rock Star
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That's not the issue. The issue is whether you like an Eadd4 every now and then (capo 2nd fret, C shape open chord moved up two semitones, bog standard open chord voicing). I do - and a capo is pretty much the only way to get there.
newpedals
Roadie
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- 385
How do you use a Capo @newpedals ? And how often?
For one or two songs in a set.
Usually because I have to consider my voice while singing and playing guitar.
I can't sing extreme high notes, so I avoid songs which have them anyway.
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HomespunEffects
Shredder
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Uh, can i get tabs for that?
Sascha Franck
Rock Star
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metropolis_4
Rock Star
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Wow, why didn’t the rest of us realize all 12 keys could be played without a capo?
Try playing some chord voicings like these without a capo and let me know how it goes:
1
1
7
1
9
7
1
1
9
1
9
9
1
4
3^5
1
x
3
Now if you did manage to do that, try the same voicings with a capo on 1. Do you notice a change in the timbre? If so, can you imagine why a player might prefer the timbre of those voicings using a capo?
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Wow, why didn’t the rest of us realize all 12 keys could be played without a capo?
Try playing some chord voicings like these without a capo and let me know how it goes:
1
1
7
1
9
7
1
1
9
1
9
9
1
4
3^5
1
x
3
Now if you did manage to do that, try the same voicings with a capo on 1. Do you notice a change in the timbre? If so, can you imagine why a player might prefer the timbre of those voicings using a capo?
Yngwie Malmsteen could play that stretch without a capo.
Yngwie Malmsteen can play anything, as long as there's scallops.
Sascha Franck
Rock Star
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david57strat
Groupie
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- 38
Oh yes!
I love the second version of scallops, way better :-). Made my mouth water.
maguchi
Roadie
- Messages
- 100
I play some of those voicings in E Standard open position and they sound cool and are very useful. I use them without a capo in open position but haven't used those voicings in keys where I would need a capo.Wow, why didn’t the rest of us realize all 12 keys could be played without a capo?
Try playing some chord voicings like these without a capo and let me know how it goes:
1
1
7
1
9
7
1
1
9
1
9
9
1
4
3^5
1
x
3
Now if you did manage to do that, try the same voicings with a capo on 1. Do you notice a change in the timbre? If so, can you imagine why a player might prefer the timbre of those voicings using a capo?
When tuned to E Standard without a capo there are other voicings I like to use with open strings where the fretted notes are further up the neck to be able to reach in first position. In less common chords like Eb, Bb, C minor, F# minor, G minor, G# minor, C# minor. There's enough chord voicings both with open strings and without for me to find voicings for anything I needed so far.
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maguchi
Roadie
- Messages
- 100
You can get that voicing without a capo by muting the G string with the tip of your 1st finger or part of your 2nd finger and flattening your 1st finger to get the sus 4 on the 1st string. If I want a E sus 4 I'll also play a open position E triad (top 4 strings only, but you can use the 5th and 6th string too) and hammer on the sus 4 at the 3rd string 2nd fret. Or top 3 strings only D shape 4th fret and hammer on the A at 5th fret 1st string. Or you can include the open D on the 4th string for a little color. Or;
7
9
9
hammer on the A at the 10th fret 2nd string with your pinky.
Take the E shape up to the 12th fret (top 3 or 4 strings only) and you can reach the A at the 17th fret with your pinky for the sus 4.
Do these voicings sound exactly the same as the capo versions of open voicings? Maybe not, but IMO just as pretty.
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metropolis_4
Rock Star
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- 3,310
Wait, what? What do you mean you play those voicings in E standard open position?
How would you go about playing this chord without a capo?
1
4
1
5
6
X
Or how about this:
1
3^4
3
3^5
1
The simple fact is there are certain things that are physically impossible to play without a capo
TSJMajesty
Rock Star
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I took it to mean he'd move them down.
maguchi
Roadie
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- 100
The 1st voicing is Eb, G, Ab, Eb, F or Eb sus 4, sus 2. The 2nd one is F (or Bb depending on which is your lowest string) , C, F, D, F to F, D, F, Eb, F or F6 to F7 add 6. If I was playing that combination of intervals I'd play the 1st one
0
3
0
4
5
X
and the 2nd one
0
2-3
2
2-4
X
0
Basically anything you can play with a capo can be played open position without a capo unless it is so far up the neck with the capo that the stretch is too far to reach in open position.
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