90 percent of Guitarists Miss This When Playing With a Capo 👀
Capos are amazing! They help guitar players play in ways without having to play barre chords in a whole different way. This unique sound would not be possible without the invention of the capo. Whether you use a capo like Kyser, Shubb, G7th, Thalia, or an Elliott, which are some of my favorites, it is so fun and opens a whole new world of possibilities. However, almost every guitar player uses the capo wrong. This is a technique that I see so many guitar players messing up even professionals. This is so easy to avoid. This simple mistake causes one to be playing wrong notes before you even start to play the guitar. 😑 Who wants that right? As a guitar player, we play enough wrong notes as it is. Why would we want to add to that before we even have played a note.😅
Don’t Believe Me? 😮
Do not believe me? Here is how you can test this so you can know if you are using the capo wrong. Put your capo on your instrument. Next, pull out your tuner and see just how in tune each string is. Is your tuning off? Do you find yourself having to tune your guitar after you put a capo on? Then this is for you. Do you need a tuner? Checkout this blog out and see which guitar tuner is right for you.
How to be More in Tune with a Capo
What do we want to do? First, get the capo as close as we can to the fret on the neck of the guitar without touching the fret. I see so many pros not doing this. They will even angle the capo where it leans to the right, leans to the left, or is straight but away from the fret. However, we need the capo flush right next against the fret. I also see people hitting the capo with their hand while playing and this causes the capo to move. This causes you to be playing wrong notes before you even start. This greatly affects the tone.
Why Is This Important?
This plays not just into your tone but the action of your guitar, how hard or light your pressing the strings with your fingers, and just how much the guitar will be out of tune because of this misplaced capo. When playing with a capo, this will cause you to be out of tune being more sharp or flat, depending on the position of the capo, and you haven’t even started playing yet. Please do not do that. Take the time to make sure the capo lines up. Stay in tune and have some great tone.
You Are Probably Using the Wrong Capo
Once the capo is lined up properly, you are ready to play right? Not quite. When the capo is lined up and set properly what many do not realize is, they use the wrong capo for their guitar. Are you telling me there are different capos for specific guitars? 🎸 Yes, I am. Each capo is designed for specific guitars and can get kind of endless. There are over 100 capos. 😳 Some guitars are made for acoustic, some for electric, twelve strings, classical guitar, some are made for specific types of acoustic and electric, and some are even made for both acoustic and electric. It can even get as detailed to the type of strings you use.
How Do I Find the Best Capo for Me?
Once you know the capo you need, you have to pick between different styles. That is wild right? 😯 how do you know which capo to pick with so many options? 😰 Here is a capo chart that lists tons of my favorite capos. shows you what each one is made for and its’ specialty.
Still Having Trouble to Stay in Tune with a Capo?
If you are still having trouble to get a little more of an edge, your guitar may need full neck set up. What is a full neck set up? You take your instrument to a luthier. A luthier is someone who works specifically on guitars. Think of it like having an acoustic piano. Every so often the acoustic piano needs to be tuned, different parts replaced, and parts fine tuned. The guitar is no different. Take a look at this blog with a great resource that I enjoy about making your guitar sound like new by taking your guitar to a luthier.
Your Capo Might be Out of Tune
Are you telling me that you have to tune a capo? 🤨 well, not quite but think of your capo like a tool. If something is off on that tool it will not work right. Think of the capo like this 🤔……. You have a saw that cuts the wood. However, if that saw is dull, it will not cut the wood right or even at all. The wood might be crooked or even get broken. The capo is no different. The capo is a tool for the guitar. Depending on the capo you have, the part or parts, that may be causing your guitar to be out of tune, might need some fine tuning. Some capos can even damage your guitar.
How Does My Capo Get My Guitar Out of Tune?
Some capos like Elliot capos can replace certain parts. Capos like Kyser cannot really replace the parts. You just have to buy a new one. One way to check if your capo is a problem is to look on the rubber that lays across the strings. The guitar string will leave grooves in rubber part of the capo after time. If they are very deep, the rubber needs to be replaced. How do I know the capo is damaging my guitar? One can look on the back of the neck of the guitar. If you see indentions in the wood, the capo is damaging your guitar. The most common capos that do this are regular Kyser capos. I love Kyser capos. They are the fastest and easiest capo to use on the market. However, they damage your guitar.
What Companies Sell Capos That Do Not Damage My Guitar
A new Kyser capo to combat this is the low tension Kyser capo. Time will tell if they do not damage guitars but for now if you like Kyser capos, this is the one you need to get. I would recommend a Shubb or Elliot for the best tension and tone. If you like to put the capo on, without tuning your guitar, which I would always recommend to tune your guitar, get the Thalia capo. The Thalia can go off and on very quickly. It is easy to put on just like the Kyser capo but it does NOT damage your instrument. The Thalia capo is even made for various kinds of instruments. One cannot find a wrong capo. One is just looking for the best capo for the situation.
More on Capos
Here is one blog that I love that asks, “Is the G7th Capo Right for You?” This is one of my favorites and falls into a price category for many players. It includes a detailed chart of all of their capos for each type of guitar to get that best sound and dives into a lot of the pros and cons. If you are looking for an edge with capos and don’t want to damage your guitar, this is the blog for you.
If you enjoyed this blog and want detailed instructional videos about capos, that pro edge, charts, or even how they work. watch Dont Fret What Fret It’s On.
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