How to Use a Guitar Capo
Place your capo on the desired fret., Tighten the capo close behind the fret., Tighten or loosen the screws on a screw capo., Apply a trigger capo by squeezing and releasing the handles., Pull the strap to tighten the tension on a toggle capo.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Place your capo on the desired fret.
If you're using tabs or sheet music, you may also notice that it tells you to barre or capo a particular fret.
Slide your capo over the desired fret and close it down.
It should hold down all six or twelve strings on your guitar and act the same way your index finger acts when using barre chords. /images/thumb/4/42/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-1-Version-4.jpg/v4-550px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-1-Version-4.jpg /images/thumb/4/42/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-1-Version-4.jpg/v4-300px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-1-Version-4.jpg When starting off, it's a good idea to use your capo on the first to third fret, just to get an idea of how it affects your guitar's tone.
Keep in mind how the capo will change the key, tone, and notes that you'll be playing. -
Step 2: Tighten the capo close behind the fret.
Tightening your capo in the middle of a fret can cause tension to be distributed unevenly across the neck.
This can result in a buzzing or muted sound when trying to play your guitar.
To prevent this from happening, make sure to tighten your capo as close to the edge of the fret on the side that's closest to the body of your guitar. /images/thumb/8/8f/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-2-Version-4.jpg/v4-550px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-2-Version-4.jpg /images/thumb/8/8f/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-2-Version-4.jpg/v4-300px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-2-Version-4.jpg , Screw capos are a popular style of capo that allow the musicians to fine-tune the capo's tension.
This is especially useful if your guitar's neck is thick or you have a higher than normal action.
While screw capos are accurate, they also have the drawback of taking longer to reposition.
This may not be good for a live performance where you'll have to change your capo's position quickly from song to song./images/thumb/5/54/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-3-Version-4.jpg/v4-550px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-3-Version-4.jpg /images/thumb/5/54/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-3-Version-4.jpg/v4-300px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-3-Version-4.jpg , Trigger capos are easy to adjust as you play.
These capos rely on resistance to hold your strings down and don't require you to loosen screws or adjust straps.
The downfall of trigger capos is that you can't adjust the capo's tension.
This could result in a buzzing sound if the capo is too loose or could add unnecessary tension on the neck of your guitar and strings if it's too tight./images/thumb/2/28/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-4-Version-4.jpg/v4-550px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-4-Version-4.jpg /images/thumb/2/28/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-4-Version-4.jpg/v4-300px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-4-Version-4.jpg Trigger capos are often used in live performances because of the speed in which you can move it up and down the neck. , Toggle capos are small, lightweight capos that are tightened with a strap.
Toggle capos are beneficial because of their size and the ability to carry them in your pocket.
They are also much cheaper than other capos and can be purchased for under $10.
The drawbacks are that toggle capos can break easily and don't always have the most precise tension due to the nature of the strap. /images/thumb/f/f6/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-5-Version-4.jpg/v4-550px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-5-Version-4.jpg /images/thumb/f/f6/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-5-Version-4.jpg/v4-300px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-5-Version-4.jpg -
Step 3: Tighten or loosen the screws on a screw capo.
-
Step 4: Apply a trigger capo by squeezing and releasing the handles.
-
Step 5: Pull the strap to tighten the tension on a toggle capo.
Detailed Guide
If you're using tabs or sheet music, you may also notice that it tells you to barre or capo a particular fret.
Slide your capo over the desired fret and close it down.
It should hold down all six or twelve strings on your guitar and act the same way your index finger acts when using barre chords. /images/thumb/4/42/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-1-Version-4.jpg/v4-550px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-1-Version-4.jpg /images/thumb/4/42/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-1-Version-4.jpg/v4-300px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-1-Version-4.jpg When starting off, it's a good idea to use your capo on the first to third fret, just to get an idea of how it affects your guitar's tone.
Keep in mind how the capo will change the key, tone, and notes that you'll be playing.
Tightening your capo in the middle of a fret can cause tension to be distributed unevenly across the neck.
This can result in a buzzing or muted sound when trying to play your guitar.
To prevent this from happening, make sure to tighten your capo as close to the edge of the fret on the side that's closest to the body of your guitar. /images/thumb/8/8f/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-2-Version-4.jpg/v4-550px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-2-Version-4.jpg /images/thumb/8/8f/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-2-Version-4.jpg/v4-300px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-2-Version-4.jpg , Screw capos are a popular style of capo that allow the musicians to fine-tune the capo's tension.
This is especially useful if your guitar's neck is thick or you have a higher than normal action.
While screw capos are accurate, they also have the drawback of taking longer to reposition.
This may not be good for a live performance where you'll have to change your capo's position quickly from song to song./images/thumb/5/54/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-3-Version-4.jpg/v4-550px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-3-Version-4.jpg /images/thumb/5/54/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-3-Version-4.jpg/v4-300px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-3-Version-4.jpg , Trigger capos are easy to adjust as you play.
These capos rely on resistance to hold your strings down and don't require you to loosen screws or adjust straps.
The downfall of trigger capos is that you can't adjust the capo's tension.
This could result in a buzzing sound if the capo is too loose or could add unnecessary tension on the neck of your guitar and strings if it's too tight./images/thumb/2/28/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-4-Version-4.jpg/v4-550px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-4-Version-4.jpg /images/thumb/2/28/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-4-Version-4.jpg/v4-300px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-4-Version-4.jpg Trigger capos are often used in live performances because of the speed in which you can move it up and down the neck. , Toggle capos are small, lightweight capos that are tightened with a strap.
Toggle capos are beneficial because of their size and the ability to carry them in your pocket.
They are also much cheaper than other capos and can be purchased for under $10.
The drawbacks are that toggle capos can break easily and don't always have the most precise tension due to the nature of the strap. /images/thumb/f/f6/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-5-Version-4.jpg/v4-550px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-5-Version-4.jpg /images/thumb/f/f6/Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-5-Version-4.jpg/v4-300px-Use-a-Guitar-Capo-Step-5-Version-4.jpg
About the Author
Charlotte Brown
With a background in writing and publishing, Charlotte Brown brings 3 years of hands-on experience to every article. Charlotte believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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