Guitar capos: cut out the bullshit
That hair-clip sort of a device you’ve often noticed around the neck of a guitar is called a ‘capo’ and it’s all this article is about. It might have a funny name (Capotastos — italian) but it does have some very serious uses —
- Firstly, capos shorten the vibrating length of the string which allows you to alter the pitch
- It allows you to transpose a song to a different key without changing the tuning. That’s why they are used in elaborate arrangements and interpretations. Try it using the chart given below. For example, if the capo is on the second fret and you place your fingers for a ‘C’ chord, its sound is a ‘D’ chord
- It helps beginners avoid barre chords and awkward chord structures. Yes, it makes the song simpler to play
- When I first started experimenting with the capo I noticed that using it helped me reduce the action on my cheap guitar and playing became a smoother experience
- Lastly, all the frets behind the capo become obsolete. This to some extent helps me when I am trying to compose tunes because it’s just less clutter. Like I said, cut out the bullshit.
Fun Fact: There is an online museum for capos. Check it out!
Types of capos
Just like people do, capos too come in different colours and characteristics. These are some of the capos I’ve come across:
- Trigger capo
By far the most common of them all, the trigger capo has a clamp like structure with rubber padding where it touches the guitar. A disadvantage I’ve noticed with these is that the spring tends to loosen over time. I’ve seen ones made of metal, wood, alloy and they come in a rainbow of colours. Buy one here.
- Ratchet capo
The ratchet capo is made of durable plastic so it is pretty light in weight. You fix it with a squeezing motion and it locks-in with a mechanism similar to that of a cable tie. It has a lever which allows for a quick-release action. Its USP is that it is operable with one hand.
They’re pretty rare to come by in India for some reason. Certainly not because of low availability though (order one here). Maybe it is just not preferred that much.
- Sliding/Glider/Rolling capo
As the name suggests, you can easily slide it across the fretboard. Apart from this, it is pretty much a regular capo. Used commonly when there are key changes in a song. I saw it for the first time on Sungha Jung’s cover of ‘My Heart Will Go On’. The ones sold on amazon.in are of poor quality. Psst…now you know what to ask that uncle in America.
- Band capo
This more of a laid back kind of capo, you know, for hippies with long hair and joints. In a band capo, an elastic fabric wraps around the strings and you can shift it along the neck without having to remove it. But, it isn’t so smooth that you can do the shifting while playing. Apart from being aesthetically appealing they don’t seem to have other pros. Also, I don’t think they’re available in India ): By the way, they go really well with distressed guitars.
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- Schubb capo
This is more of a product than a ‘type of capo’, nonetheless, I had to mention it because of its unique design. A Schubb capo has a screw which lets you tighten the capo and a lever to lock it in place. Since were mentioning products, there is another capo that I want to introduce you to — the G7th Performance 2 Capo. You can clamp this one with one hand and dial in the tension by squeezing it into place until it’s just right. To release, all you have to do is flip the small release. Great, ain’t it?
- Partial capo
Used usually by hardcore modern fingerstyle guitarists, it’s rare to stumble upon one at your nearest music store. There are three types of partial capos that I want to touch on:
- Short capo
This partial capo covers 3–4 strings. It’s helpful when you want to jump to an alternate tuning without having to spend time retuning the strings. I have seen two short capos being used simultaneously on a guitar neck. How cool is that!
2. G-band capo
This capo looks like a ‘G’ and clamps across the outer ‘E’ strings of a guitar. You also get variations that can reach out to 2 outer strings on either side of fingerboard. I have never seen one. But I’ve read about it and have often run into complaints that they tend to slide off and get troublesome as the neck of the guitar gets wider.
3. Spider capo
If you’re looking for a versatile capo this is it; the possibilities with a spider capo are limitless. It has 6 levers that you can flip down to press on a specific string. It comes with its own disadvantages — it cannot be used on a 12 string guitar, the levers sometimes don’t fit well and its very easy to bump the adjacent ones out of place. There’s also something called a harmonic capo (here the padded levers just rest against the strings rather than press against them) which when placed on the 5th, 7th or 12th produces beautiful harmonic notes.
- DIY capo
During emergency situations, you can build a makeshift capo using just a pencil and some rubberbands. They suck, but they work. Learn to make one here.
Hmm…That’s about all I have on capos. Which one do you prefer the most and why? Write to me.
Happy playing!
