The capo
A free guitar lesson · 4 steps · about 5 minutes
A movable nut
A capo is a clamp that presses all six strings down at one fret, like a moveable nut. With a capo on, you play your usual open shapes, but everything sounds higher.
It is how guitarists play songs in awkward keys with easy shapes, and how they move a song up or down to suit a singer's voice.
How the chord names change
With a capo on, the shape you hold and the chord you hear have different names. Each fret the capo moves up raises every chord by one semitone.
| Capo | G shape sounds as | C shape sounds as | D shape sounds as |
|---|---|---|---|
| none | G | C | D |
| 1 | G# | C# | D# |
| 2 | A | D | E |
| 3 | A# | D# | F |
| 4 | B | E | F# |
| 5 | C | F | G |
So with the capo at the second fret, playing the shapes G, C and D gives you A, D and E: the I, IV and V of A major, using nothing harder than open chords.
Putting it on
- Clamp the capo just behind the fret, as close to the metal as it will go, the same place a fingertip goes.
- Keep it straight, square across the neck.
- Check the tuning after putting it on. A capo can pull strings slightly sharp, so a quick touch with the tuner is worth it.
Using it with songs
When a chord sheet says "capo 3", put the capo at the third fret and play the shapes written. If a song's detected key is awkward on the guitar, count up from an easy key: a song in B is simply G shapes with the capo at the fourth fret.
A capo also changes the sound. Higher up, open chords get brighter and more sparkly. Many players use one just because they like how it sounds.