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What Capo position do you like?


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Posted

I never use a capo ... pretty much ever. Unless I am really plastered around a campfire and following another guy who is using one. Only because I am too out of it to rework the chords in my mind.

 

I dont have anything against them, just truthfully never use them.

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Posted

I'm not sure a favorite position makes much sense, unless it's due to a limited vocal range? It really, really depends on the song. The key can make or break a song a lot of the time.

 

I've used a capo anywhere from the 1st to the 7th fret.

 

it's also handy for heightened tunings without stressing an acoustic (I.E tune down to open D and capo 2 for open E like Jimmy Page does for Bron-Y-Aur Stomp).

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Posted

I think the only time I've ever used one was to play "Here comes the sun" in the original key.

 

Damn Mo - separated at birth buddy! I was going to mention that song as the only one I ever use one for:thu::thu:

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Posted

5th and 7th usually.

 

That would be the keys of A and B, right? :confused:

 

Also 2nd for some Radiohead songs.

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Posted

I only use them because our singer has a really high voice and likes to transpose stuff up and it's just easier to do. Because of that, there is no "standard" fret that I capo, it's just where I need it, but it tends to be the second or 3rd fret.

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Posted

5th and 7th usually.


That would be the keys of A and B, right?
:confused:

Also 2nd for some Radiohead songs.

 

Well, no. When you put the capo on say, the 5th fret, you stay in standard tuning, only its now standard tuning starting from A.

 

If you strum all six open strings in standard tuning, you will ring an Em11 chord. If you put a capo on the 5th fret, you would ring Am11, or Bm11 on the 7th.

 

I have also never really used a capo. I have always avoided open strings because the lick you might be playing with an open drone is not going to work in another key. Stupid reason really. I've always comped with closed in chord voicings.

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Posted

I agree that a favourite position makes no sense. (Any more than a "favourite key" makes any sense.)

But I do feel that certain positions have their own character. I used a capo a lot when I was learning guitar, partly because I was transcribing fingerstyle, and folk players use capos all the time to put easy chord shapes into easy keys for their voice. My "bible" - Bert Jansch's debut LP - seemed to use capo on 3rd fret for most of the tracks, so it became a familiar position for me.

I guess you could say it's a kind of "favourite" in that sense. But I also like it on frets 1, 2, 4 and 5. I'd rarely go beyond there. However, I was intrigued to discover that Dylan used fret 7 for "Blowin in the Wind" - when the key (D)was easy enough in open position. So he clearly used it for the sound of those high "G" chord shapes, not to make playing easier.

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Posted

Also 2nd for some Radiohead songs.

And 15th fret - :eek: - if you want to play "No Surprises" with the original lead arpeggio shapes...

;)

(yes Thom Yorke's is on fret 3, but look where Ed O'Brien's is...)

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Posted

Don't use them a ton, but on "It's All Over Now Baby Blue" I like to capo the high 5 strings at the fourth fret and leave the low E alone, then play in C (and sing in E). Get a nice low boom with that.

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