First rule of capo club is..

[Alex Kenivel]

I was messing around with a capo up on the 8th fret, playing some fingerstyle up around the 12th fret, my drummer at the time thought it sounded really cool and he got me to record it. He took a copy of the recording home and it ended up into these:

 

[metropolis_4]

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.

Those are not the same chords I showed. A D is not an Eb. Your chords are a half step lower than the ones I asked if you could play.

 

[metropolis_4]

I took it to mean he'd move them down.

That makes no sense. That would be like if someone asked you if you could play something really fast and your answer was “of course I can, I just slow it down until I can play it”

 

[maguchi]

Those are not the same chords I showed. A D is not an Eb. Your chords are a half step lower than the ones I asked if you could play.

Yes they're a half step lower. That is the point, voicings, not chords. If I wanted to play them in F or Eb, I'd play them in different but equally cool 1st position open voicings. I don't play guitar by learning open shapes and patterns and reproducing them someplace else on the neck (with a capo). Although I do that on shapes that are not from open position.

Even with a capo open chord shapes are not going to sound that close to the shapes they're derived from in open position. A finger and a capo on a fret sound a lot more similar than do a open string at the nut. A fret is a fret regardless if a finger or capo is fretting it. That I to IV chord move in your previous post can be done fairly easily at 125 bpm using straight or swung 8ths anyplace on the neck without a capo.

Or maybe a little slower using these shapes.

 

[maguchi]

I took it to mean he'd move them down.

That makes no sense. That would be like if someone asked you if you could play something really fast and your answer was “of course I can, I just slow it down until I can play it”

Move them down the fretboard not down in speed.

 

[Sascha Franck]

You can get that voicing

No, just no. Did you see the video I posted?

 

[Sascha Franck]

That is the point, voicings, not chords.

Sorry, but that's almost absurd. In case I am supposed to play a certain song in a certain key, I can't just come up.with something entirely different.

 

[maguchi]

No, just no. Did you see the video I posted?

No I din't see your vid. I din't even realize you posted a video.

Sorry, but that's almost absurd. In case I am supposed to play a certain song in a certain key, I can't just come up.with something entirely different.

Entirely diffrent? That is quite an exagerration. We're talking about slightly diffrent voicings of the same chord. Unless you're in a tribute band people come up with diffrent chord voicings all the time. We are not recordings, we're humans playing an instrument. You can get close enough with a diffrent fingering that is close in register to the original.

Even in cover bands if you change the key but use the same exact voicings but diffrent notes you change the timbre. F is a darker sounding key than E. E is fairly bright sounding and chimey, F is more mellow, so is Eb. Unless your playing note for note in a tribute band you can change keys and voicings. A vocalist in a tribute band must be able to sing in the original keys or it won't sound the same as the recording that everyone has heard a hundred times. Unless the original recording was done with a capo it won't sound the same if you use a capo and a diffrent key. So I choose to use a close voicing in the same register.

 

[Jazz Padd]

Interesting reads in here. Gave me some perspective and insight, and realized that I have several capos that I have never used, including fancy and partial neck ones, etc. I guess I like the idea of a capo, but it has no practical use in my little world. So probably I’ll sell or gift them in my next gear purge.

 

[joebloggs]

Albert Collins anyone....?

 

[Sascha Franck]

Entirely diffrent? That is quite an exagerration. We're talking about slightly diffrent voicings of the same chord.

No, we're talking about fundamentally different things. As said, feel free to post an even remotely similar sounding E4 (or Eadd4) example. Look at the video I posted to get an idea.

 

[HomespunEffects]

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.

Even then it’s simple to revoice the chord into something that sounds as good or even better. I’m not against capos, I just don’t use one. If I come into a situation where one is necessary, I’ll dig through my box of stuff and try to find the one I bought 40 years ago.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Even then it’s simple to revoice the chord into something that sounds as good or even better.

"Good" or "better" is completely irrelevant as it's purely subjective. The question is: possible, yes/no? And some things are only possible using a capo (at least as long as we're not talking non standard tunings).

 

[FuzzyAce]

I'll use a capo periodically on acoustic and have written quite a few songs with one. It's probably more useful when using alternate tunings like DADGAD, open tunings, and my favorite - EADGbBE.

 

[metropolis_4]

Yes they're a half step lower. That is the point, voicings, not chords. If I wanted to play them in F or Eb, I'd play them in different but equally cool 1st position open voicings. I don't play guitar by learning open shapes and patterns and reproducing them someplace else on the neck (with a capo). Although I do that on shapes that are not from open position.

Even with a capo open chord shapes are not going to sound that close to the shapes they're derived from in open position. A finger and a capo on a fret sound a lot more similar than do a open string at the nut. A fret is a fret regardless if a finger or capo is fretting it. That I to IV chord move in your previous post can be done fairly easily at 125 bpm using straight or swung 8ths anyplace on the neck without a capo.
View attachment 39373
View attachment 39369

Or maybe a little slower using these shapes.

View attachment 39370View attachment 39371

Ok, I’m talking about the exact same notes with the exact same voicing shown in my posts.

Again, my point is there are some things that are physically impossible to play without a capo. If you disagree with that please post a photo of yourself playing this exact chord with these exact notes in this exact voicing without a capo:

1
8
10
13
11
1

 

[JiveTurkey]

Bro; get capo shamed

 

[metropolis_4]

I’ll also just say it: I feel no shame in using a tool to make less work for myself.

If I’m playing Here Comes the Sun maybe I could find a way to do it without a capo, but it would be a major PITA. Why make myself work that hard when I can just throw on a capo?

It’s like, yes, I could get up at 3am and hike 16 miles to get to my 10:30 meeting, but I’d rather sleep until 9am, jump in my car, and drive 20min

 

[FuzzyAce]

Bro; get capo shamed

You know we've reached rock bottom when someone gets capo shamed.

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

I’ll also just say it: I feel no shame in using a tool to make less work for myself.

If I’m playing Here Comes the Sun maybe I could find a way to do it without a capo, but it would be a major PITA. Why make myself work that hard when I can just throw on a capo?

Ah, but why play that old moldy song when one could play "Wonderwall" instead?

And it doesn't even need a capo.

Anyways...

 

[HomespunEffects]

"Good" or "better" is completely irrelevant as it's purely subjective. The question is: possible, yes/no? And some things are only possible using a capo (at least as long as we're not talking non standard tunings).

Is it though?