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Post subject: Capos, what they are used for.
Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 4:13 pm
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So I have a slight pet peeve when it comes to chords and a capo. Playing what looks like a "D" chord with a capo on the 7th fret is not in fact a "D," but an "A" chord.

I play, bass and guitar, with a variety players, each at a different level of ability, but it is a pain in the butt when I ask, "What are the chords?" and I get the guy with the capo telling me one thing, when it's another.

Capos are great for getting just the right timbre for a piece of music, or if you want to play something like, "Here Comes the Sun" in the proper key. But a capo should not be a replacement for actually learning chords.

Any thoughts on this?


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Post subject: Re: Capos, what they are used for.
Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 4:21 pm
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I Agree, nothing worse than being told a tune is in the key of such and such when it is in fact something completely different........

I know what you mean about the capo shouldn't be a substitute for just learning the chords but sometimes it makes the tune.....think of Hotel California's intro on the 12 string....capo 7 starting on Bm (played as an Em obv in this position) If you were to play it without the capo, you would struggle to make it sound right......

Other tunes just 'fit' better when capo'd....I don't know why they just do. I often play in DADGAD and capo-ing at fret 3 or 5 COMPLETELY changes the sound of the guitar.......

Just my humble tuppensworth mind you.........

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Post subject: Re: Capos, what they are used for.
Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 5:56 pm
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Sometimes a chord's voicing just doesn't sound right without a capo.

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Post subject: Re: Capos, what they are used for.
Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 7:17 pm
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Everybody has voiced really great pointed. Capos are wonderful tool which can make a song sound very different. Muddy Waters used a capo.

I use a capo infrequently that I forget where I put it. I'll run into it one and be like, "wow, that's where that's been hiding out."

I pulled it out tonight to learn how to play, "Here Comes the Sun," a requirement for that song.

As a lead guitarist or bass player, I'll sit in with people (namely in a church band setting) and ask, "So what key is this in?" We begin playing and wham!--I'm off.

So how did this all come up anyway?

I was practicing (on bass) with family for retirement party. My cousin is capo player. Enough said.

To night I was watching a video and the instructor was calling A's, D's and so forth. Some kid watching this video and learning how to play the guitar is going to learn bad habits.


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Post subject: Re: Capos, what they are used for.
Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 9:20 pm
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In my workshop, I've been working on a single-string capo that can be slid under the string. And unlike a banjo 5th string capo, it doesn't block your hand sliding along the edges, and can be used on any string. I'm working on getting it small enough to at least work on the 1st to 7th frets.

Why? Because I wrote a song with the following repeating progression for several minutes:

5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
3 2 3 2 3 3 3 2
2 2 2 2 0 2 2 2
0 2 0 2 0 0 2 2
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

(D - A - D - A - Gsus2 - D - Asus4 - A)
(Main rhythm/strokes for each chord: П-ПП-VП- but I use some finger picking too.)

Not hard to play at all, but my commie pinkie gets tired.


I'll put up pics when finished, but in the mean time, would anyone here be interested in one?


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Post subject: Re: Capos, what they are used for.
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 6:06 am
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The wookee is always interested in all sorts of gizmos and doohickies that may or may not enhance the playing experience....laziness is my forte!!!!

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Post subject: Re: Capos, what they are used for.
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 6:56 am
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I've noticed in the time I've spent in bands with more than one guitar player that capos can be used to cool effect to add nice texture to an arrangement. Having one of your guitarists run the chords down by the nut and the other capo'd higher up allows them to approach the progression differently, but still get the full sound of some open chords as opposed to barre chords for the guitarist playing higher up. Also it can offer you alternative ways for a chord to be played. As was pointed out above. A D chord in an A shape is a D chord, but it sounds different. Sometimes that's really cool. Especially in bands with a bunch of guitarists. It's another tool. Like any tool there are people who rely on it like a crutch, and those who use it for all kinds of things. Some very inventive. I try not to judge others on how they get the sound they get. Only if I enjoy it.

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Post subject: Re: Capos, what they are used for.
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 10:18 am
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pappawookee wrote:
The wookee is always interested in all sorts of gizmos and doohickies that may or may not enhance the playing experience....laziness is my forte!!!!


+1 on the 1 sting capo

I have one of the regular capos and the only thing I have used it for was to check neck relief on my guitars and it worked perfectly Oh I forgot I used it once when I wanted Open E on my acoustic and thought the high tuning might bend the neck too much so I went into Open D and placed my capo on the second fret.
mud


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Post subject: Re: Capos, what they are used for.
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 12:34 pm
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Nothing wrong with capos. I use them all the time on my acoustics mainly. It's not a replacement for learning chords, but as an effect to get a certain sound that you won't get any other way. Really, what difference does it make anyway? They used to call them "cheaters" when I was a kid, now it's a tool. Most of us had or have every possible effect on our pedalboards. Some do harmony, some do octaves, there's some now fro EH that do Sitar and organs too. Who cares as long as you get the sound that makes you grin?

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Post subject: Re: Capos, what they are used for.
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 12:37 pm
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TheKingofPain wrote:
I've noticed in the time I've spent in bands with more than one guitar player that capos can be used to cool effect to add nice texture to an arrangement. Having one of your guitarists run the chords down by the nut and the other capo'd higher up allows them to approach the progression differently, but still get the full sound of some open chords as opposed to barre chords for the guitarist playing higher up. Also it can offer you alternative ways for a chord to be played. As was pointed out above. A D chord in an A shape is a D chord, but it sounds different. Sometimes that's really cool. Especially in bands with a bunch of guitarists. It's another tool. Like any tool there are people who rely on it like a crutch, and those who use it for all kinds of things. Some very inventive. I try not to judge others on how they get the sound they get. Only if I enjoy it.



I agree with your points here.

I'm one 1/3 of an acoustic group and on a couple of songs I will play 6 string rather then acoustic bass and we almost always have one of us capo'd if playing two acoustics together. That gives things a "fuller" sound for lack of a better word.

And if we don't have one capo'd then one of us will fingerpick while the other strums to get a different effect.

Not for any of us to judge another's playing, enjoy it for what it is.


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Post subject: Re: Capos, what they are used for.
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 3:18 pm
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I always thought that capos were used to assist the singer/guitar player to be able to sing in a certain key, and play the same chord shapes as without.

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Post subject: Re: Capos, what they are used for.
Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 12:00 am
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They're a must for open tunings. especially on an older acoustic when an open A would put too much stress on the neck. I just tune to open G which is nice and loose for the old girl, and capo to A. Similarly with open D capo'd to E.

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Post subject: Re: Capos, what they are used for.
Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 7:07 am
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Thanks for everybody's perspectives. To clarify, my issue not with using a capo. It's a very useful tool. My issue jas to do with players who use capos, yet don't learn the correct names for the chords they are using.


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Post subject: Re: Capos, what they are used for.
Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 7:56 am
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They should simply just tell you what key, positions and voicings they are playing. That will eliminate any confusion. Instead of having to transpose everything for others, or you having to do it in your head or worry about what their hands are doing or what tuning they are using.

If they say the chorus is two bars of 6m, then 5, and 4 in E and the verse is just a vamp on 6m then you should know exactly what you're doing regardless of what they are playing, or where they are playing it. Instead of them having to take the chord shapes they are playing and figure out what the real chord is. Or vice versa for you. Too much chance for things to get mixed up on the fly.

Just my opinion, of course.

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Post subject: Re: Capos, what they are used for.
Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 8:31 am
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Capo - Acoustic, probably 50% of the acoustic songs I do out live, require a capo.

It's not cheating, it's about getting the right key for the vocals. and in some cases, songs just wont sound right with out. Try playing the Here Comes The Sun intro without one..

I'm in a duo, and we will also a combination of one capo'd guitar, one not. The result is a bit of a fuller sound where the voicings blend.

So for anything acoustic, I gotta have capo handy.


For Electric Guitar: well,, almost... never.


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