How To Use A Guitar Capo
Capo, capo, capo � however you pronounced it, this little device is a handy little thing
and a must for any guitarist.
I�m Tomas Michaud from Real Guitar School. In this lesson, I�ll show you how to use
it and why you should have one. Also at the very end of this video I�ll show you a unique
use of it that most people don�t know about. Let�s do it.
Welcome back. A Capo has many uses but the most common use for it is to easily change
keys of a song without having to refinger the chords. Now I have here a brand of Capo
called a Kyser Capo. It�s actually I think my favourite though there are some great other
Capo out there. D�Addario makes some really nice ones, a popular ones called G7 and Shubb
which I actually have, a little harder to use but works quite well. I do wanna mention
that its probably better to spend a little like extra money and get a good one I�ve
struggled with the cheaper ones and there�s no need to add a couple of extra bucks so
let�s say I�m playing a song and I�m using a G chord and the sound is a little
low either from my voice or anybody else who is singing. I want to raise it up the key
now I could change it up to the A chord but one way to do this is to put the Capo on the
second fret and I figure the same G chord, its now an A chord and if the song was in
the key of G its now in the key of A. Two frets makes one full step from G � that�s
G, A is the next step. Every fret that you put the capo raises up a half step so if I
have an E chord for example, if I wanted to be F that�s a half step, put the Capo on
the first fret and now I played the E chord then it becomes an F.
When you see this cheat music often thus I put the Capo on the second fret for example
then Ill tell you playing E chord. They mean playing the form of E, it really becomes � on
the second fret that�s F sharp, right? E, F another half step F sharp, you see.
This is particularly helpful when somebody�s voice just doesn�t line up with the song
but you still want to play the same chords. Now it will save you from having to reformat
everything in bar chords. Now remember, wherever you put the Capo that becomes the new knot.
You see if a chord like the E chord uses open string, you can�t just raise to half step
because the open strings don�t change. Okay, that�s not really quite an F and I�ve
raised it more, see, the open strings still ringing so E half step up F if I put the Capo
on the first fret now the open strings are on the half step also so it becomes an F.
As you raise the Capo up, it changes the timber of the guitar also makes it a little bit different.
How are you going to do more with the changes. Timber is the sound of the guitar. Its not
just the pitch, the pitch changes also and that what I talked about going from E to F.
Now take a look at this, if that doesn�t quite make sense here�s another example.
If I play a G chord and somebody else playing with G chord, we might want to make the G,
we might wanna put the Capo on his guitar, have him make a G chord and sound different,
a little different voicing we called it. So I put the Capo on the third fret. I played
what it looks like an E but that�s actually a G now. I raised it up 1, 2, 3 half steps.
The E, F, F sharp, G. Let�s check it out. Yeah, same chord a little different voicing
but same chord.
Now I�ll show you a third G. Let�s put the Capo on the fifth fret. Now I know that
I can play the D form but and I�ll make a G but you hear how much higher the pitch
is? It�s playing much higher notes. By the way, when we accurately figure out that�s
the G, I can look at the D, go up one whole step E, half step F and then two more G. Take
a listen to this, kind of a high pitch G. If it doesn�t sound the same, its okay.
It�s a higher pitch but it is actually the same chord.
So the best thing to do is to experiment with this. Try a song and try to put a Capo on
it and play the same song and see if that actually works a little better for your voice.
Keep in mind whenever you put the Capo and take it off, it tends to get the strings out
of tune and it pays to really tune up your guitar first before you use the Capo to help
medicate that action a little bit. If you keep taking the Capo off and putting on it�s
for sure over time, gonna make the strings go out of tune.
Now a unique use for the Capo is to actually play a song but to make it sound very different
kind a like a man in a higher pitch instrument.
Im gonna show you one very popular song that does just that. Now I put my Capo on the 7th
fret and see if you recognized this tune (strumming). Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles. It makes
everything a higher pitch and almost sounds like a different instrument. It�s kind of
fun. Put around with it.
Thank you for joining me today. If you enjoyed this video and you�re watching on YouTube,
please give me a LIKE and subscribe to my channel and Ill make sure you get some more
stuff. If youre not on my blog, head on over there, and sign up for my email list, Ill
get you a new lesson every week. Thanks again, Im Tomas Michaud , signing off for now.