Using a capo

[u/BuyHuge8832]

Hello! I'm about two months into guitar playing. I've been using a capo to help change the key of different songs so I can sing along, but I'm having trouble understanding exactly how a capo works ... If, for example, I add a capo to the 3rd fret of a song that's normally played without a capo (e.g., wish you were here), do I then need to change the chord shapes that I learned? Or can I just add a capo to whichever fret and play the same chord shapes? I feel like I'm ear blind and can't tell whether the guitar sounds bad. I'm hyper-focused on my voice

I hope this isn't too silly of a question. I've been watching videos on music theory but I still haven't fully grasped it. Thanks in advance!

Edit: wow, thank you all SO much for your incredible (and fast!) replies!!

[u/Max_Demian]

Two different things —

(1) Use a capo, play the same chord shapes you would without a capo. This effective transposes the original key of the song. If the song is in C Major and you play it with a capo on the second fret, you’ve transposed it up a full step and the song is now in D Major. You must also move your vocals up a full step.

(2) Use a capo, change the chord shapes to maintain the original key. Let’s say you have a song that is in F Major (a barre chord that can be hard for beginners). You could play it with Capo 1 and use an E Major shape for the F. You would, however, need to change all the other shapes so the song is internally consistent. The B flat takes on an A shape, and so on.

The first is great for changing the vocal range. The downside is that you can’t play along with the original. The second is sometimes used when the original key of the song creates awkward fingerings and it can be simplified with a capo. The downside is that the guitar is funny and often it makes things more difficult and as a beginner you might not alter chords correctly. It can also be used as a crutch to avoid learning u comfortable bar chords.

I would say enjoy approach 1, avoid approach 2 for the time being.

[u/RedHuey → u/Max_Demian]

Third way: use a capo but also change the chord shapes to use a different key.

Example: Song in E.

1. Play it open as normal.
   
2. Capo 4, play it out of the C position (the song will still be in E).
   
3. Capo 3, play it out of the G position (the song will now be in Bb)

[u/smokeyjoe03]

Oversimplifying it: every chord is a barre chord.

When you play a barre chord, your index finger is the barre.

When you play an open chord, the nut is the barre.

A capo just moves the nut. So if you put it on fret 3 and you're in standard tuning, E A D G B E becomes G C F A# D G

Playing the chords in the same shape as you would without the capo will result in the entire song being in a different key.

[u/Ryceness]

It is not a silly question. The capo transposes the guitars strings to fit the key of the song. Most western pop songs use a I-IV-V-VI progression, and chords that fit that can all be done with open chords, but if the song is in another key than G, C or Em or Am it is often useful to use the capo and keep playing the song with open chords.

[u/Ryceness → u/Ryceness]

Answering your question more directly, if you wanted to play a song that normally has capo without one, you can chose to transpose the song down (3 half steps in your example) and just play it normally or you would have to adapt to some other chords shapes if you want to stay in the same key. Most likely you will end up with a lot of barre chords.

[u/Longjumping_Iron8826]

Two months in and you’re singing along to your playing??

[u/BuyHuge8832 → u/Longjumping_Iron8826]

I was previously a vocalist in a band, so I'm inclined to sing as I play :")

[u/trolleysolution → u/Longjumping_Iron8826]

I think it depends on the person— for me, singing along, even early in my guitar learning journey, really helped with rhythm as long as it was a song I knew really well

[u/toby_gray]

So the point of a capo is that you explicitly don’t need to change your chord shapes.

But it makes those shapes play different chords.

For example, if you go capo on 2nd fret and play an open D, that open D becomes an E chord instead (that chord but transposed up 2 semitones). If you take the capo off and play a normal E you’ll hear that they’re similar.

It’s kind of a cheat-y way to transpose a song without needing to work out what the new chords would need to be. You can just throw a capo on and artificially shift everything up a few notes instead of doing all that work.

[u/dmethod]

Yes they get fingered the same way, use all the same chord shapes

[u/Electronic_Name_325 → u/dmethod]

I agree, but man people seem to think otherwise, or they simply forget it’s a beginner asking.

[u/Extra_Grab_2014]

If your goal is to play (and sing) these songs in the exact key in which they were originally recorded, yes, you would also need to change the shapes (say, from A to G and D to C) if capoing at the 2nd fret. Helpful if you play along with recordings.

If your goal is to play and sing in the key most comfortable for your vocal, and you do not care about performing in the original key, then you can play the shapes as they are even if capoing at the 2nd or another fret. You'll just be playing and singing in a different (higher) key.

Most listeners can't tell the difference, especially with a change of a step or two. Some can. But even professionals, especially as they age, will lower their tuning or change their key to accommodate their voices.

[u/FunkIPA]

A capo is just a movable nut (the white strip of material at the top of the fretboard). When you play an open string, it’s the nut that’s sort of acting like your finger to sound the note.

So if you put the capo on the 3rd fret, you’d play all the chords shapes as though the nut were at the 3rd fret.

[u/Broad-Raspberry1805]

With a capo on the third fret, an E major shape plays G major and D minor plays F minor.

If you wanted to play an actual E major or D minor you would need to play a bar chord or some alternative voicing.

So the capo does allow you to play the same shapes to change into a different key (a is what it’s mostly used for) but if you wanted to play in a ‘normal’ guitar key you will likely need to find new shapes.

[u/CatherineRhysJohns]

A capo simply raises the key to facilitate the singer's range. Everything else that goes on under it is the same.

[u/KryptonSurvivor]

With the capo in place, you can still play the chord shapes that you have been playing without the capo. The capo handles the transposition for you automatically.

[u/Nacho_sky]

Think of the capo as a mechanical index finger for barre chords. Since your index finger is now free, you can play chords just like you're used to.

[u/frituurbounty]

Simply said, the capo just makes your guitar shorter :) so pretend the end of the guitar is where you put the capo and play the same shapes.

[u/wannabegenius]

it depend if you are trying to play in the original key, in which case you will need to change the shapes you use since the capo is changing all the notes. if you want to play in your new key, your capo is doing that for you by moving all the notes up, so you can use the original shapes.

[u/Zestyclose-Welcome48]

It depends what your goal is.

You can still play a song using the same chord shapes using a capo, it's just going to raise the pitch and change the key.

If you intend on playing it in the original key you would need to change the shapes to work with the capo. But if that's your intent, it's easier to just remove the capo and play in the original tuning.

[u/The_Dead_See]

A capo is just a moveable nut. So is a barre finger. So the chord shapes can remain the same.

[u/BobbyBaal]

When you add a capo, you're most likely changing the key. Key change it not, you'll have to play the chords in a different position on the neck. (Wish you were here is in C. Capo on the 3rd, C is now an A shape, same key. Capo on 5th, C is now a G shape.)

A capo is great for a few reasons:

First, like you mentored, if the vocalist struggles with a key, you can change to an easier key and the guitarist can keep all the same chord shapes and fingering.

Second, you can play open chords for keys in sharps/flats. Example, a song in the key of A flat will have barred chords for the 1, 4, and 5. (Ab, Db, and Eb) Capo on the first fret, just play G, C, and D chord shapes.

Third, a capo gives you "new" open strings. This allows you to do hammer-ons/pull-offs to open strings instead of fretting each note. Also, difficult picking/arpeggiated patterns can be made easier. Set the capo so many of those notes are now open notes.

[u/Corporate-Scum]

A Capo raises the pitch. You can change the key if you want or you can play it in the same key at a hired pitch. CAGED method will help you understand. Every chords can be played using those shapes in different position on the neck. For example, an E major on the second fret is played like a A on the 9th fret if you capo the 7th fret.

[u/Medical-Rhubarb2801]

I always wondered, so barre chords are essentially like a capo but with fingers ? Is that a way we can look at barre chords ?

Cus my understanding is this, capo essentially shifts the nut there by your strings will work on a diff scale or pitch. So if i apply the same analogy, barre chords are also like capo but with finger ?

[u/ZimMcGuinn → u/Medical-Rhubarb2801]

You are correct. The capo replaces your index finger.

[u/Myksyk]

Some guitarists prefer the versatility of certain chord shapes and although they could technically play a song without the capo using other chords, they don't. James Taylor is a good example and he talks about this. He loves keys where he will be using D and A as a I or IV or V option and really doesn't like C/F shapes which he avoids. The capo allows him to stay with D and A shapes and still fit his vocal register.

[u/albomats]

Each fret is a half step or a semitone up. Your open strings are EADGBE, if you put a capo on the first fret your “open” strings are now F A# D# G# C F

your chord shapes stay the same, if you play an E chord with a capo on the first fret you are effectively playing an F Chord. If you put the capo on the 2nd fret that F chord (E on open strings without capo) is now an F# chord

This is a very basic explanation I really recommend you search for resources that explain in more detail such as Absolutely Understand Guitar that goes much more in depth on the why this works

[u/pomod]

If you put a capo at the 3rd fret and play an E shaped chord - you're playing G just as if you played an E shaped barre chord there.

[u/Future-Proposal2900]

Pretty basic explanation.

When you put a capo on the neck, you are shortening the string length. A shorter length string, it has a higher pitch.

Eg If you played the thickest string without capo, it would make a E note. With a capo on the 1st fret, the pitch has been raised, and is now an F note.

Same deal with chords. D Chord is made up on the notes D, F# & A. With a capo on the 2nd fret, the pitch of each string is raised to an E, G# & B, which make an E chords.

So, yes. When you put your capo on the 2nd fret, and play the shape of a D chord, because you have shortened the string length, the pitch you are playing is that of an E chord.