Modern Saint
Starve your Fear, Feed your Dream!
Since playing solo acoustic shows on and off over the past few years I never realized how valuable a capo has become for me. I started a prior post on the usage of a capo with my Mandolin and now will share my experience and thoughts with it for the guitar.
I have never been an advocate for the usage of a capo because I never needed it. The first time I found a use for one was in 2003 when I played in a Rush Tribute. We played the song 'Big Money' and I could not get the harmonics or the right sound out of the guitar. I used artificial harmonics but the harmonics did not ring proper. Chords played also did not have that ring to create the right effect. Another Rush fan told me that Alex used a capo on the song and all the harmonics would fall into place. So I went to GC and bought my first Kyser. Not only did the harmonics fall into place but the chords were all open chords and the chime of 'Big Money' that I heard was there.
Well over the last 3 years as I started to build my repertoire I began to find that many of the songs that I looked to play in my future required a capo - ie: Fire and Rain, Free Falling, etc. A few months ago I attended a Brooks and John seminar/concert put on by the Association of Fingerstyle Guitarist and saw that John Standefer used a Capo on a few songs. As he explained he uses it to create the open bass strings for the duet pieces that they play and makes playing chord voices easier with a drone....Duh...why didn't I think of that?
So with that idea, I started to play Steely Dan's Do It Again capo'd at the 3rd fret. Not only did it make the song easier to play, but I could drone and vamp the open G while solo'd on the remainder of the strings during the break. I am starting to find playing Rocket Man (capo on 1st fret) much simpler for bass movement. And this goes on and on and on.
Last one I want to share is the use of a capo with open tunings. I have found that tuning one of my acoustics to Open D (D A D F# A D) I can play a lot blues tunes in Open D ie: Dust My Broom, etc. Add a capo onto the 2nd fret and you are in open E ie: She Talks To Angels, etc.
Benefits of Capo in a solo or duet setting
1) Allows the use of a drone bass strings
2) Helps to create easier movement of walking bass lines
3) With drones, it allows player to play more intricate voicings
4) Changing keys for the ease of singing
I am sure there are more but this so far has been my experience.
I have never been an advocate for the usage of a capo because I never needed it. The first time I found a use for one was in 2003 when I played in a Rush Tribute. We played the song 'Big Money' and I could not get the harmonics or the right sound out of the guitar. I used artificial harmonics but the harmonics did not ring proper. Chords played also did not have that ring to create the right effect. Another Rush fan told me that Alex used a capo on the song and all the harmonics would fall into place. So I went to GC and bought my first Kyser. Not only did the harmonics fall into place but the chords were all open chords and the chime of 'Big Money' that I heard was there.
Well over the last 3 years as I started to build my repertoire I began to find that many of the songs that I looked to play in my future required a capo - ie: Fire and Rain, Free Falling, etc. A few months ago I attended a Brooks and John seminar/concert put on by the Association of Fingerstyle Guitarist and saw that John Standefer used a Capo on a few songs. As he explained he uses it to create the open bass strings for the duet pieces that they play and makes playing chord voices easier with a drone....Duh...why didn't I think of that?
So with that idea, I started to play Steely Dan's Do It Again capo'd at the 3rd fret. Not only did it make the song easier to play, but I could drone and vamp the open G while solo'd on the remainder of the strings during the break. I am starting to find playing Rocket Man (capo on 1st fret) much simpler for bass movement. And this goes on and on and on.
Last one I want to share is the use of a capo with open tunings. I have found that tuning one of my acoustics to Open D (D A D F# A D) I can play a lot blues tunes in Open D ie: Dust My Broom, etc. Add a capo onto the 2nd fret and you are in open E ie: She Talks To Angels, etc.
Benefits of Capo in a solo or duet setting
1) Allows the use of a drone bass strings
2) Helps to create easier movement of walking bass lines
3) With drones, it allows player to play more intricate voicings
4) Changing keys for the ease of singing
I am sure there are more but this so far has been my experience.
