I have a capon and I never use the darn thing. I just like moving all over the neck and capos just kinda get in the way. But Steven Wilson used a capo on “Trains” and The Edge used a capo on “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” therefore, they’re valid.
Welllll... i dunno about that, but what i DO know is that the songs i played with capos helped land my wife and more than a few smiles and winks from the female populace. What's that, you dont have a girlfriend cause youre spending hours in your room practicing leaving you socially awkward? Awww... poor 👶
Said like a philistine. 😂 There is a great video where a guy uses a capo to get dropped D tuning whilst the guitar is in normal tuning. He explores getting open tuning whilst still being able to play the guitar in normal tuning. Capos require some imagination.
I can't believe I haven't seen in the comments -- capos are awesome for people that are way past bar chords because it lets you use higher open strings and/or turn the open strings into interesting intervals for the key you're playing in
uh, they aren't for widduwl bwabiez cause you can play higher up on the neck with open strings and you wouldn't easily be able to get that chord otherwise
@@sonicaseYeah, I use way too many up-the-neck chords built around open drone strings to just be able to bar them instead. The only times I’m able to play different voicings without having a big effect is when the song was constructed from simple chords to begin with. Any song I play with a capo, I still use bar chords. The capo is just placed strategically so that the open strings and open chords have the right vibe in the context of the song. Mostly I use a capo because I prefer down-tuned guitars to begin with. I’m usually in C-standard or something. Capos are what I use when I have to play “normie songs”. It would be absurd to bar chord *every song* that is traditionally in E-standard. Particularly the ones that have riffs extending off low bass drone notes. For example, no one playing Cherub Rock in a higher key without a capo is being faithful to the vibe of that riff.
Ok there are serious use cases though, I’d like to see you play wonderwall without a capo (yeah I know it’s the capo song, but it is practically impossible without a capo.)
@@THE-CRT you could just use a different voicing. but i agree, a lot of intense finger picking stuff is hard without a capo. mostly referacing adrianne lenkers stuff.
@@kadin7852Different voicings can really change the feel of the song, though. Any progressions where the open chords make use of a lot of pull offs and hammer ons within the chord structure can’t simply be changed to different voicings or bar chords while maintaining the same spirit as the original. Progressions that use drone notes will feel very different when played with bar chords. And to be honest, if the different voicings really are that interchangeable, chances are you weren’t playing anything technically advanced in the original voicing anyway. You’re just making it harder *and* playing it without the same spirit as the original.
@@kadin7852 This goes way beyond wonderwall, but as an example, the constant droning strings are pretty essential to the wonderwall sound. It’s not thinking too hard about it to realize it makes more sense to use the capo to keep the voicing faithful. It’s just common sense. It’s the difference between someone saying, “Hey, Wonderwall”, vs not knowing what you’re playing til you start singing and even then it sounds off. Thinking too hard about it is when people come up with nonsensical, ego stroking reasons for why they play songs incorrectly. That’s where the real mental work begins.
James Taylor uses capos. Also some guy named Don Felder with some random band called The Eagles Recorded a 12-String with a capo on their biggest hit. Only 26 MILLION copies sold. Buncha losers.
Yea because pop music and record sales are the best measure of musicality and advanced theory/techniques 🙄 Everybody knows the best music objectively uses a maximum of 4 guitar chords played in the open position, as that is what makes the most money right? Well apart from power chords but that's some space-aged theory...
It’s cumbersome to have all that neck when I’m playing at the skill level of Ed Sheeran. I just clamp it off and strum e chords and say baby a lot. I have a collection of signature and vintage guitars and a lot of money 🧐 I drink the same coffee as Josh because it costs $50 a cup.
Cap-oh is how Americans pronounce the mafia rank, short for caporegime. Basically means a mafia captain. I used to think it was pronounced like a guitar capo til I watched enough mafia documentaries/films lol
Depends what the electric is doing. For most soloing I’d agree, but even then it might be a reasonable short cut to changing your guitar’s tuning. Depending on the solo, it can matter what your open strings are. Even when improvising, it’s always nicer when your open G and D (or B and E, etc) strings are actually notes within the key you can make use of.
