Hi guys. This might seem like an odd question, but /when/ do you use a capo? I've been playing for about 6 months now (racking up 3 hours a day practise on average - I play rock/alternative type guitar, and have a taste for semihollow electrics through Fender tube amps) and I make extensive use of the capo. I don't know anything about keys or scales, so I just experiment with the capo and find it opens up all kinds of interesting tones and possibilities.
However, I see players all the time just never use them. Is this a matter of taste or am I being essentially amateurish by over-using the capo?
John A. wrote: > Hi guys. This might seem like an odd question, but /when/ do you use a > capo? I've been playing for about 6 months now (racking up 3 hours a day > practise on average - I play rock/alternative type guitar, and have a > taste for semihollow electrics through Fender tube amps) and I make > extensive use of the capo. I don't know anything about keys or scales, > so I just experiment with the capo and find it opens up all kinds of > interesting tones and possibilities.
> However, I see players all the time just never use them. Is this a > matter of taste or am I being essentially amateurish by over-using the > capo?
Hi John, It is felt by many guitar players that the capo might be seen as a way out of learning more than a few basic chords, but this is far from true. Interestingly you say that you play mainly rock/alternative and there may be fewer players in those genres who are capo users, but you also say that you have been experimenting with it and this is the way to go. Trying out new things is always good and opens up possibilities for all of us. There are countless really fine acoustic players who use capos extensively, not only full "standard" capos but partial ones and ones which can create harmonics, etc. My preferred use is to change key to accompany vocals while still using particular chord shapes, open strings etc. Another use if you have more than one guitar in your band is to have one player chording in 1st position, say in the key of G and a second guitarist capoing at 7th fret and using C major shape (which equates to G at 7th fret. This gives a more interesting sound than having both guitarists doubling up, and even more so if you add a third player. I play with guitars, mandolins, accordion, whistle and concertina (not all played by me!)and we often use arrangements which have just such a set-up - two guitars playing, one using capo to create different voicings. Capos are not just a lazy man's toy but an excellent way of getting different sounds, and by experimenting as you are doing, you'll come up with new ideas of your own. Go for it and forget any ideas of being thought of being amateurish. HTH John Kelly
John A. wrote: > Hi guys. This might seem like an odd question, but /when/ do you use a > capo? I've been playing for about 6 months now (racking up 3 hours a day > practise on average - I play rock/alternative type guitar, and have a > taste for semihollow electrics through Fender tube amps) and I make > extensive use of the capo. I don't know anything about keys or scales, > so I just experiment with the capo and find it opens up all kinds of > interesting tones and possibilities.
> However, I see players all the time just never use them. Is this a > matter of taste or am I being essentially amateurish by over-using the capo?
I believe that it is quite common for Flamenco guitarists to use one.
I've been given reasons from lower action, to increased brightness, to shorter fret spans as reasons in the past - all seem valid to me.
I use one when it makes things much simpler - why would it be virtuous or desirable to make things deliberately harder for yourself?
Justin Otto wrote: > John A. wrote: >> Hi guys. This might seem like an odd question, but /when/ do you use a >> capo? I've been playing for about 6 months now (racking up 3 hours a day >> practise on average - I play rock/alternative type guitar, and have a >> taste for semihollow electrics through Fender tube amps) and I make >> extensive use of the capo. I don't know anything about keys or scales, >> so I just experiment with the capo and find it opens up all kinds of >> interesting tones and possibilities.
>> However, I see players all the time just never use them. Is this a >> matter of taste or am I being essentially amateurish by over-using the capo?
> I believe that it is quite common for Flamenco guitarists to use one.
> I've been given reasons from lower action, to increased brightness, to > shorter fret spans as reasons in the past - all seem valid to me.
> I use one when it makes things much simpler - why would it be virtuous > or desirable to make things deliberately harder for yourself?
> J.
I think it has to depend on the music (ie, the genre) and the purpose for the which the capo is being used. I have a Shubb capo which is used only on acoustic guitar; The effect is not just the same as "playing in a different key"; it's an entirely different register and sound.
I'd swear that an E major played with the capo at the 5th fret (ie, it sounds as an A) sounds brighter than an A played as a barré chord at the same frets.
But in other genres, if someone called "There Will Never Be Another You" in G, I wouldn't put a capo on the second fret...
> Hi guys. This might seem like an odd question, but /when/ do you use a > capo?
A few years ago, I played in a folk group. We used capos on about half the songs that we did - for musical effect rather than any matter of convenience. We'd capo the two guitars at different positions on the neck (for example: one guitar at the third fret and the other at the seventh fret) then play in unison. The idea was to create two completely different guitar "voices" and to extend the range of each chord and make the whole guitar sound bigger.
> Justin Otto wrote: >> John A. wrote: >>> Hi guys. This might seem like an odd question, but /when/ do you use a >>> capo? I've been playing for about 6 months now (racking up 3 hours a day >>> practise on average - I play rock/alternative type guitar, and have a >>> taste for semihollow electrics through Fender tube amps) and I make >>> extensive use of the capo. I don't know anything about keys or scales, >>> so I just experiment with the capo and find it opens up all kinds of >>> interesting tones and possibilities.
>>> However, I see players all the time just never use them. Is this a >>> matter of taste or am I being essentially amateurish by over-using the >>> capo?
>> I believe that it is quite common for Flamenco guitarists to use one.
>> I've been given reasons from lower action, to increased brightness, to >> shorter fret spans as reasons in the past - all seem valid to me.
>> I use one when it makes things much simpler - why would it be virtuous >> or desirable to make things deliberately harder for yourself?
>> J.
> I think it has to depend on the music (ie, the genre) and the purpose for > the which the capo is being used. I have a Shubb capo which is used only > on acoustic guitar; The effect is not just the same as "playing in a > different key"; it's an entirely different register and sound.
> I'd swear that an E major played with the capo at the 5th fret (ie, it > sounds as an A) sounds brighter than an A played as a barré chord at the > same frets.
> But in other genres, if someone called "There Will Never Be Another You" > in G, I wouldn't put a capo on the second fret...
A capo wins hands-down over barred chords IF you want/like/need open strings in your preferred playing techniques.
Do what works for you, and don't worry about it, unless/until you need to do things differently!
> However, I see players all the time just never use them. Is this a matter > of taste or am I being essentially amateurish by over-using the capo?
I've used capos occasionally but usally find them more hassle than they're worth especially using string bending. By the time I've set up the ideal pressure and position to do the job I've lost the will to live. OTOH if you use heavy gauge strings, don't bend them much or far they're useful. IIRC Adrian Legg uses sawn-off Shubs to get partial capos for evn more possibilities.
If you can run to it a Hipshot Trilogy could be more fun:-
> However, I see players all the time just never use them. Is this a > matter of taste or am I being essentially amateurish by over-using the capo?
Depends a lot on the style you're playing.
If you're mostly belting out one-paw power chords like Clive's cat (obscure ukmg reference, but you get the point) or generic barré shapes, most of what you do is completely moveable and a capo isn't really necessary.
As /soon/ as you start using open strings in your playing, and in any way caring about chord voicings, capos become a very useful tool. An E chord, for example, sounds very different to C capo 4, As soon as you get on to stuff with drone strings or pedal bass tones, you're going to need capos as soon as you shift away from the key in which it's easy. And IMO there is no shame in capoing to fit someone's voice.
A capo's a tool, nothing more - I use 'em all the time, for most of the above reasons.
On Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:49:13 +0000, "John A." <j...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>Hi guys. This might seem like an odd question, but /when/ do you use a >capo? I've been playing for about 6 months now (racking up 3 hours a day >practise on average - I play rock/alternative type guitar, and have a >taste for semihollow electrics through Fender tube amps) and I make >extensive use of the capo. I don't know anything about keys or scales, >so I just experiment with the capo and find it opens up all kinds of >interesting tones and possibilities.
>However, I see players all the time just never use them. Is this a >matter of taste or am I being essentially amateurish by over-using the capo?
There's a number of reasons to use a capo. If you are in an acoustic duo, both playing the same chords, it will sound a bit too thick and muddy. Using a capo on one of the guitars will make it sound brighter, and because you will have to transpose the chords, the different shapes will make the sound fuller. I've done this a s a recording trick several times, and it makes the two guitars much more separate in the mix.
>>Hi guys. This might seem like an odd question, but /when/ do you use a >>capo? I've been playing for about 6 months now (racking up 3 hours a day >>practise on average - I play rock/alternative type guitar, and have a >>taste for semihollow electrics through Fender tube amps) and I make >>extensive use of the capo. I don't know anything about keys or scales, >>so I just experiment with the capo and find it opens up all kinds of >>interesting tones and possibilities.
>>However, I see players all the time just never use them. Is this a >>matter of taste or am I being essentially amateurish by over-using the capo?
>There's a number of reasons to use a capo. If you are in an acoustic >duo, both playing the same chords, it will sound a bit too thick and >muddy. Using a capo on one of the guitars will make it sound >brighter, and because you will have to transpose the chords, the >different shapes will make the sound fuller. I've done this a s a >recording trick several times, and it makes the two guitars much more >separate in the mix.
>Another reason for using the capo is so that you can transpose a tune >to an easier set of chords to play, or so you can play an "open" riff >in a different key. The main example which springs to mind is >"Norwegian Wood" which is based around a D-shape, but capoed up.
My favourite when playing with an acoustic band is to put one of the guitars in Nashville tuning. Gets interesting if you have to take a solo or want to do any bends though - you have to watch out in case you pop the high G..:-)
On Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:42:43 GMT, anyth...@contractorcom.com wrote:
>My favourite when playing with an acoustic band is to put one of the >guitars in Nashville tuning. Gets interesting if you have to take a >solo or want to do any bends though - you have to watch out in case >you pop the high G..:-)
On Nov 8, 4:49 pm, "John A." <j...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> Hi guys. This might seem like an odd question, but /when/ do you use a > capo? I've been playing for about 6 months now (racking up 3 hours a day > practise on average - I play rock/alternative type guitar, and have a > taste for semihollow electrics through Fender tube amps) and I make > extensive use of the capo. I don't know anything about keys or scales, > so I just experiment with the capo and find it opens up all kinds of > interesting tones and possibilities.
> However, I see players all the time just never use them. Is this a > matter of taste or am I being essentially amateurish by over-using the capo?
I use a capo in both my acoustic and electric sets.
|
