Course 39 How to use the capo

How to use the capo 

The capo is used to change the key of a given song, i.e., the arrangement. As the guitar express the chords or melodies with their basic six strings and therefore they have their unique forms for chords and scales unlike keyboard instruments. Such unique forms are good for us to understand and memorize them but it is sometimes difficult for us to play special voicing using the left hand or both of the hands on some occasions. For such reasons, we use irregular tuning or the capo to play them in a various way. We will look into the representative uses of the capo by this course. 

Changing the key while keeping the same chord forms 

The capo is most frequently used to change the key to the player’s voice range while keeping the same chord forms. People have their own voice ranges and usually women can sing with higher ranges than men do. In contrast, for lower voice ranges, men have more advantages than women do. So when women sing men’s songs, they often need to go up in an octave as the song is too low. In such cases, the range of the pitch for the highest notes may be too high and therefore we need to change it to an appropriate key for playing. In general, it is recognized that there is a difference of a third degree between male and female voices but you may set the capo to your voice range. 

I will explain it with an example of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan. This song is for male voices with repetition of G-D-Am7-G-D-C. Let’s listen to the original song. 

When you feel that the song is too low while singing it, you can place the capo from the first fret to the next one so that you can finally find the appropriate place for the capo that fits to your voice range.

Following is a cover by Avril Lavigne which changed the key for the female voices. 

The case is a cover in which the key was changed to C. You may play it by increasing all the chords in perfect fourths to C-G-Dm7-C-G-F but it would be much easier for you to place the capo on the fourth fret so that you can use the chord forms of the original song. 

Just like the above case, if a given song has a too high or too low key for your voice range, you can use the capo to change the key appropriate for yours to play it. 

Changing the key to play it with easier chord forms 

The capo is used for such cases so that you can have easier chord forms while not changing the original key. When a given song has a lot of sharps and flats, you need to hold barre chords to play it but you can play it much easier by changing those barre chords into open chord forms. In order for you to understand it, you need to look into the principles of barre chords. 

Related postings 

09 High chord (barre chord) 
10 Basic harmonics, basic chord theory and practic F
11 High chord#2, CAGED system

Please review the postings before proceeding. 

Figure

The above has a chord progression of the Db key and if you hold those chords without using the capo, they will be as follows: 

Db (Db of the C form) 

Bbm (Bbm of the A form) 

Ebm (Ebm of the D form) 

Ab7 (Ab7 of the G form) 

You need to hold the chords with the above barre chords based on the chord forms of the C key. However, if you hold the chords while placing the capo on the first fret, they will be as follows: 

Db > same as the C chord form 

Bbm > same as the Am chord form 

Ebm > same as the Dm chord form 

Ab7 > same as the G7 chord form 

As shown above, you can change the barre chords into the open ones which you can easily hold. The standard key chords which will be a basis for changing into easy chord forms are open chords of C, A, G, E and D keys. 

The sequence to change the chords into easier forms is as follows: 

1. Determine whichever of C, A, G, E and D you will select for changes. 

For the above case, it was determined to select the C chord form to change the Db chord. 

2. Find out root note of the chord and then use the capo to adjust the key. 

For the above case, the capo was placed on the first fret so that the root can be changed to Db by holding the C chord. 

3. Find out the roots of the rest chords. 

For the above case, as the capo is placed on the first fret, the root of Bbm will be the fifth string. 

The chord form which has a root of the fifth string is A and therefore if you hold the Am chord, it will be Bbm. 

The root of Ebm is the fourth string. 

The chord form which has a root of the fourth string is D and therefore if you hold the Dm chord, it will be Ebm. 

The root of Ab7 is the sixth string. 

There are two chord forms of E and G which have a root of the sixth string but the G chord form has the root on the third fret and therefore if you hold the G7 chord, it will be Ab7. 

Determining the different chord forms as a standard with the same progression 

When first determining to hold the A form for the Db chord, place the capo on the fourth fret and set the root as the fifth string. 

Though the C chord also has its root on the fifth string, A has the open string root but C has the root on the third fret. 

The root of Bbm is on the sixth string of the second fret. 

The root of Ebm is on the third string of the second fret. 

The root of Ab7 is on open string of the sixth string. 

As two barre chords are created, the playing will be more difficult than playing with C chord forms. 

We can change the chord forms based on a standard of the G chord forms. 

Db

Bbm

Ebm

Ab7

The result will be as above. 

All the chords were changed into open chords that you can easily hold without barre chords but the capo is placed on the sixth fret and therefore the chord voicing may be heard too high. So you can make your own selection depending on your preference. 

We can also change the chords based on a standard of the E chord forms. 

Db

Bbm

Ebm

Ab7

The result will be as above. 

Two barre chords are created and the fret is too high. Thus, playing will not be comfortable. 

The chords can be changed based on a standard of the D chord forms. 

Db

Bbm

Ebm

Ab7

The result will be as above. 

A barre chord is created and the fret is also too high. Thus, playing will not be comfortable. So the results show that the change into the C chord forms is the most comfortable one for playing. When you change for the different chord progressions, you may try all five chord forms and then select the one that is the most comfortable for you. 

Using the capo when you need special voicing or phrasing 

In such cases, the capo is placed to change only the root in a chord or use the phrasing based on open strings or the capo can be placed on part of the strings to create special voicing. The song “Where the Winds Blows” by Kim Kwang-seok can be this case. For creating special voicing by placing the capo on only 4 strings, “Rylynn” by Andy McKee can be this case. 

So far we have looked into representative cases in which the capo is used.