How do I know what capo to buy?

Choosing a Capo

Consider the type of guitar you are playing — acoustic, electric, 12-string or classical. Your choice might be different for each application and neck. There are capos for other instruments, too, like banjo or ukulele. Also, take a look at your fretboard and determine whether it's flat or radiused.

Does it matter what kind of capo I get?

Most brands offer a range of options, so if you see a capo you like, there'll probably be one designed to fit your guitar. Generally capos are designed to fit as universally as possible, so you shouldn't need to buy a specific capo unless your neck or fretboard is exceptionally different to the norm.

Do capos fit all guitars?

Capos will usually fit all standard guitars. However, you might not be able to use it on seven-strings guitar or if you have the one with eight or more strings. The capo will be too short to clamp all of the strings, and you might need to find a custom one.

How do you measure a capo?

Check the columns to the right, and look for a capo fret number that allows you to play all the chords in the original key using open chords. Place the capo at the specified fret, and play the chords in the column underneath that fret. They will sound like the chords in the far left-most column.

Are capos for beginners?

Capos are awesome. They can make learning the guitar easier for beginners, and for more advanced players, they can offer greater depth and variety. They really are a tool for all seasons.

Buyers Guide for Guitar Capos: All you need to know before you buy your First Capo : The Basics

What does capo on 4th fret mean?

The capo on the fourth fret moves the pitch up four half steps. From our original G chord, that would be G#/Ab, A, Bb, B. Our G, C and D chords now sound like B, E and F#. These two versions of the G chord with the capo on the fourth fret now sound like a B chord.

What does capo 2nd fret mean?

A Capo (short for capotasto, meaning "head of the neck") is a small device that clamps to the neck of your guitar to allow you to quickly and easily change the key of the guitar. For example, by clamping a capo onto the 2nd fret of the fretboard, you can raise the key of the guitar by a whole tone.

Will a capo damage my guitar?

Do not leave the capo on the instrument when not playing it. The capo, when clamped on the neck, holds the strings down on the fretboard and creates extra tension on the neck and the top of the guitar. All acoustic guitars are destined, at some point in time, to have problems due to the tension of the strings.

Why does my electric guitar sound out of tune with a capo?

Excess pressure on the strings is a super common cause of tuning issues. Essentially the added pressure from spring loaded, elastic or cheaper capos squeezes the strings too much and pulls them out of tune. You'll often find that the thicker strings suffer more as the capo squeezes them against the fretboard.

What capo do professionals use?

Kyser Quick-Change Capo

It allows for quick and easy pitch changes. You only need one hand to quickly transpose your guitar. A trusted name in guitar gear, Kaiser is well-regarded by both amateurs and professionals.

What capo does Ed Sheeran use?

Capo. Ed Sheeran uses a Dunlop Trigger Capo for many of his songs. You can use any capo you want, but trigger-style capos are quick and easy to move around between songs.

Which capo is best for an acoustic guitar?

Are expensive capos better?

Give it a year or so of regular use and you'll realise why you pay extra for a good quality capo, they're more durable and maintain their tension so the strings will be held tightly. Cheap capos lose tension and need replacing.

How do you know what key you're in with a capo?

To determine what key you will be playing in based on a given capo position, take the key corresponding to the chord shapes you want to play and then add a semitone or half step for each fret position. Note that there is only a half step or one semi-tone between E and F and between B and C.

What chord is G with capo on 2?

When you play a G shape with the capo on fret 2, the chord that sounds is an A. The next step is to apply the same transposition to the other chords in the key of G. Fingering A minor sounds as a B minor, while a C shape sounds as D.

What key is a guitar usually in?

With that said, every single guitar string is tuned to a note that belongs to the Key of C, which has no sharps or flats. In other words, one could argue the guitar, when tuned to standard tuning, is in the Key of C Major, more specifically, in E Phrygian mode, the third mode of the C Major scale.

Does a capo change the tuning?

What a capo does is provide the same type of vibration termination, changing the pitch of your open strings without adjusting the tuning keys. It should be noted that the capo doesn't have grooves in it to keep the strings in place, as the nut does. So essentially, a capo works in conjunction with the nut.