Originally, Don Felder wrote and recorded the song in E. It might be too high for the singer, so try putting on the capo and move it fret by fret, until the singer finds the sweet spot.Īnd actually, this is exactly why the legendary song Hotel California, by Eagles, is in B minor. He or she might not be comfortable singing in the open key. This is especially useful if you sing, or you are working with a vocalist. Since a capo raises the key when you put it on, it is very easy for you to try playing your chord progression, testing out different keys as you go. Just like with the example above, a capo is also of great help to vocalists. Since the sound has a noticeable change when you put on a capo, the overall sound might be brighter, happier or sweeter than you would get without it. Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Alexander Rybak & Thomas Leypoldt – “Song from a Secret Garden” Online Duet ()Īnother benefit the capo has is that it changes how the audience interprets a song. Which probably would have taken me a little longer to learn. In this case, if I didn’t own a capo I would need to play different chords. To be able to play the chord progression that I had learned (and used a couple of days on), I needed to put on the capo on the first fret to be in tune with Alexander. This is a great example of when to use the capo. When I heard that Alexander played the tune in the key of C Minor, I had to put on the capo in order to play in that key. I also tend to prefer playing with alternate tuning, so my preferred tuning for the day was in open D. I had learned the song in a very specific way, without using a capo. In the video below, you can see the world-class violinist Alexander Rybak and myself playing a duet, “Song From a Secret Garden”. The Benefits of Using a CapoĪ capo helps you adapt to other musicians efficiently. For instance, if you want the bright, high notes to really come forward, the capo can help you accomplish this. With a new sound signature, it is also easier to define and enhance specific notes in the melody. In other words, in addition to making it easier for you to play in different keys, a capo could also give you a new, different sound signature. You see, the higher up you put the capo (closer to your strumming hand) it will almost sound like a mandolin. Many people feel the chords are much sweeter-sounding with the capo on.
You will see the complete chart over which keys that correspond to different capo positions further down. I will come back to a more detailed example of this a little later in this post. Slapping on a capo will help you find a more comfortable key for you to sing in.Īlso, it makes it easier to jam with other vocalists and instrumentalists. If you are trying to sing a Johnny Cash song, you might not be able to go as low as his iconic voice. The capo makes it easier for you to play in different keys with the exact same chord progression as you would play without the capo. Let’s say that, without the capo, you like to play the chords G-C-D-Em and Am (which are in the key of G minor).īut what happens when you put a capo on the second fret? Well, if you play the same chords now, they are in another key than you would have without the capo! The key has now changed from G to A. It raises the key of the guitar, even though you are still playing the same chords. Logically enough, putting on a capo results in the sound getting brighter and brighter, the closer you move it towards your strumming hand.įurthermore, let’s look at some other results as well.
Easily explained, a capo is this clamp that you put on the guitar fret, effectively shortening the guitar neck. There are a lot of explanations around the web, but I’ve often found them to be a little too ‘technical’ for a beginner.