Using capo for the tonal and playability purposes

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Author	Topic: Using capo for the tonal and playability purposes
Timo New Member Posts: 4 From: Oulu,Finland (Europe) Registered: Apr 2005	posted 05-24-2005 01:40 Hi all. How do you folks see the use of Capo in fingerpicking? Sometimes when I don’t feel very inspired I just put the capo on the second fret and instantly every tune sounds like a new one! Actually use capo for 2 purposes: 1. With tunes that have a lot of hammer ons and pull offs from/to an open string. This makes playing easier. 2. With some tunes with chords in open position this makes the tune to sound more uniform because the barre chords and chords played with open strings will sound the same. . Timo IP: Logged
Louisiana_Grey Member Posts: 791 From: Isle of Man Registered: Jan 2003	posted 05-24-2005 01:48 Yes, both of those. Plus I like to capo just strings 1 to 5 at the second fret as a substitute for dropped D tuning - I like to play "Stackolee" that way. Also I capo just to give a different sound. For example I play "Louis Collins" in C, but capo at the 5th fret and use the chord shapes for the key of G. IP: Logged
David Kampmann Member Posts: 1230 From: Copenhagen, Denmark Registered: Jun 2003	posted 05-24-2005 02:47 I capo to generate variety in keys, but as a side effect, I find capoing releases all of the dormant sonic potential of my resonators. Two frets up is almost like an entirely new instrument, the tonal characteristics can change that much. Some tunes just beg to be capoed, I don't now why. Delphi in open G capoed @ fifth fret is a firm favorite - sounds like a mandolin. David. IP: Logged
kugraw Member Posts: 649 From: Rostock, Germany Registered: May 2004	posted 05-24-2005 07:25 Some tunes sound differently or even better when played in different registers. For instance, I only play Little Martha in Open E. The lower Open D just does not sound as good to me as does open E in this case. Although slide tunes become a bit more difficult to play since a capo usually decreases overall distance between strings and fretboard. Kay IP: Logged
Lasse Johansson Member Posts: 91 From: Stockholm, Sweden Registered: Nov 2002	posted 05-24-2005 07:41 Or when you play duets. One guitar in the key of A( or using the fingerings of the key of A ) with a capo on the third fret. The other without capo playing in the key of C. There are many possibilities here. Guitar one, with capo on the fourth fret playing C-fingering and guitar two in the key of E without capo. Interesting tonal timbre between the two guitars this way. LJ IP: Logged
waxwing Member Posts: 1431 From: Oakland, CA Registered: Oct 2001	posted 05-24-2005 08:38 95% of the time I use the capo to move the song higher in my vocal range. I play mostly in standard in many different keys, so creating a "different" sound isn't an issue. Now and then, when playing with others, I may capo up for different chord voicings. When learning a new song I usually arbitrarily capo up 2 or 3 frets just to make playing less of a stretch, until my muscles are familiar with the territory, and then I move it to where I want. Timo, sounds like your nut may need to be lowered if you have an easier time playing with a capo as you described. It should really be no higher than a normal fret. All for now. John C. IP: Logged
Louisiana_Grey Member Posts: 791 From: Isle of Man Registered: Jan 2003	posted 05-24-2005 09:22 "Or when you play duets." Yes, there's not much in life that's more tedious than listening to what I call Two Blokes With Guitars syndrome, where they both spend all evening strumming the same pattern in the same register on two guitars that sound identical. IP: Logged
Hoser Rob Member Posts: 48 From: Nova Scotia, CANADA Registered: Jul 2004	posted 05-24-2005 09:54 When I used to play more in open tunings the capo was invaluable ... eg. if you're playing along to the radio and they're playing R&B with horn sections, you're going to be playing in a lot of flat keys. Playing in Eb when in open D just begs for a capo. In standard, I mostly find they're useful for using different chord voicings for a particular key. I like D major a lot, and with some D tunes the cadences come through a lot better if you capo on the 2nd fret. I don't sing myself ... people I know who sing solo with a guitar are the real capo nuts. IP: Logged
Jack Cook Member Posts: 343 From: Cape Cod, MA, USA Registered: Sep 2003	posted 05-24-2005 13:51 I play a bunch of tunes (instrumentals) with the capo on the second or third fret. It does give it a different feeling, for sure. Also, I agree with the sentiment that slapping on a capo when you're bored and playing your regular un-capoed tunes that way gives you whole new outlook on it. It's just fun. If you get into African fingerpicking, it seems that those guys like to capo up to the fourth or fifth fret a lot. I guess it makes the guitar sound more like a Kora, that way. Jack IP: Logged
Wade Hampton Miller Member Posts: 102 From: Chugiak, Alaska, USA Registered: Mar 2005	posted 05-24-2005 14:04 Paiva, paiva, Timo! I've been to Oulu. (There's also an Oulu, Wisconsin, a tiny little town near Hayward that, the last time I heard, boasted a pair of accordian-playing Finnish-American brothers who call themselves "The Oulu Hotshots." By all accounts, they deserve the name: they're very fine players.) I use a capo on guitar quite a bit, to get picking patterns in different keys. I think my longtime use of capos has also helped me transpose as quickly and easily as I do, which in turn has made learning to play my baritone guitar and requinto much faster. Haluaisen oluen! Haluaisen Lapin Kulta! Kiitos, Wade Hampton Miller IP: Logged
Timo New Member Posts: 4 From: Oulu,Finland (Europe) Registered: Apr 2005	posted 05-24-2005 23:48 Hi all. Thanks for your interesting comments. About my guitar's nut hight, I think it should be OK (I am playing Takamine EAN-40C). Isn't this always the case (with any guitar) that playing open chords or hammer ons or pull offs with capo is easier? I think that the nut just usually is a bit higher. Hello Wade, you seem to know the most essential Finnish sentences! - Timo IP: Logged
jvesey Member Posts: 1828 From: New York Registered: Jul 2003	posted 05-25-2005 04:01 Been woodshedding a ton of Blind Boy Fuller of late. Almost everything he does is in standard on an old single cone with a capo. Great, great sound. Loads of his blues in A, are actually played out of a G shape capoed II. Also, things like Sam McGee's Buck Dancers Choice sound like "bells" when you capo and play them up high. And as soon as another guitarist walks in the room, the capo's come out. IP: Logged
eskimo Member Posts: 3519 From: Midwest Registered: Feb 2004	posted 05-25-2005 04:54 Mr. Vesey said: "Been woodshedding a ton of Blind Boy Fuller of late. Almost everything he does is in standard on an old single cone with a capo. Great, great sound. Loads of his blues in A, are actually played out of a G shape capoed II. " This is the real value of this forum. Would've taken me months to figure that out (I'm sloooooow). I'm headed to the stereo w/ my guitar and the Essential Blind Boy Fuller. Oh, and my capo. After that I'm going to Borders to get the JSP 4 disc set... Senor Vesey - ya probably play it on that phenomenal palm tree Triolian eh ? IP: Logged

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