The capo chart shows how your normal, open position chords change when you have your capo affixed to a particular fret. If you're still struggling with the capo concept, take a look at a capo chart and everything will start to make a bit more sense.
#ULTIMATE GUITAR PRO HOW DOEST IT WORK HOW TO#
You just need to make sure you get the right one to suit your style of playing and you learn how to use it effectively.
Make no mistake - this is a tool you'll be calling upon a lot in the future. Lastly, you can throw your capo on the guitar to make playing certain melodies an easier task. If you like to play and sing, the capo will come in handy, as you can quickly experiment with a song in different keys and see which suits your voice the best - no complicated transposition necessary. Using your capo will allow you to try out new chord voicings, so if a tune is sounding stale, playing it with a capo will allow for a fresh interpretation that you might find more appealing. There might come a time where you just want a song to sound different. With your capo in place, you can stay in sync with your group, even when you're messing around with playing your songs in keys you haven't had the chance to study. There will doubtless come a time when one of your bandmates declares, "let's try it in this key," with "that key" inevitably being one with chord shapes you haven't prepared for yet. The ability to change keys with a capo is a gift unto itself, though, if you're playing with a group and need to play a song in a specific key. With your capo, you can use a greater number of your open position chords to play songs with difficult chords more fluidly (albeit, in a different key). Let's face it - some of the more advanced chord shapes are difficult to pull off, especially when you're just starting out. First and foremost, you can use your capo to play songs whose original key might be giving you some difficulty.
Now that you have an idea of what the capo is and how it works, you might be wondering what situations call for its use. This is a powerful "shortcut" for beginner players, as it enables you to play songs in varied keys, even with a limited chord memory. So, if you had your capo on fret two, that standard C Major chord shape becomes a D Major chord, your A Minor chord becomes a B minor chord, your G Major chord becomes an A Major chord, etc. Now, why would this little tool come in handy for a guitarist? We mentioned that the capo raises the pitch of your guitar's open position with your capo on, you can change the key of a song but use the easy-to-play open position chords you've already memorized instead of having to fool around with a bunch of weird chord shapes further up the guitar neck. It's like having a permanent barre in place along whatever fret you put it on, and you can place it wherever you need for the song that you're playing.
Move that capo to the second fret, and you'll get F#, B, E, A, C#, and F#. Place the capo on the first fret, and you'll get F, A#, D#, G#, C, and F. The capo moves that nut up the fretboard, raising the pitch of your open position notes (and only your open position notes).
Without getting too deep into the weeds here, the nut marks the end of the strings vibrational length, so when you play your strings open (from string six to string one) you get the scale tones E, A, D, G, B, and E. If that sounds confusing, think about the nut of your guitar (that's the piece that divides the headstock and fretboard). Slap one across the strings of your guitar, and you'll raise their pitch according to whichever fret you've affixed the capo. What is a Capo?Ī capo is a small clamp that fits across the neck of a stringed instrument and alters its sound. So, in the interest of helping you improve your skills and learn all things guitar, today's lesson will be filling you in on what a capo is, how it works, the different varieties, and how you can get the most out of yours when you're practicing and performing. That clamp is called a capo, a shortening of the Italian term "capotasto." Understanding how it works will open up a whole new world of possibilities when it comes to your playing. "What's that weird-looking clamp that came with my guitar?" This is a question asked by many a beginner player, and the answer is a fairly straightforward one. Definition How To Use Capo Chart Styles Tips Easy Songs