MissouriPicker - Posted - 03/09/2010:  08:30:02

The thread "Capo Question" by "therake" got me to wondering how many of us continuously use a capo. For me, when playing standard guitar, I've often used one, but, as the years have passed I find myself using it less because over time I've picked-up a lot more technique and abilities with guitar. With the dobro, I've used one a few times, but now find myself playing the chords as their key suggests and leaving the capo off. I guess it's a "six of one and half-dozen of the other" kind of deal, but maybe because of my guitar backgound (as many in here have) to fall-back on I find myself learning the chords, learning the quick pickup notes to drop-down or go up 5-6 frets, learning the bass runs. .......True, the key of A is A, with or without a capo. I guess that I've finally reached a stage where I've got the time and desire to learn each individual key and it's chords, etc. I don't think one way is necessarily any better than another, aside from the viewpoint of a purist (which I'm too flawed to ever be...lol). I've even seen Glen Campbell play with a capo. And if Glen sees fit to use one at times, why not the rest of us?

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Edited by - MissouriPicker on 03/09/2010 08:32:35

otdobro - Posted - 03/09/2010:  08:59:32

The only reason that I can think of for using a capo, is for doing hammer-ons and pull-offs while you are in the root chord. You can get a different sound with a capo, but, as Junior Barber says "You lose a lot of notes that you could be playing behind where the capo is attached" . I use one for doing Oswald style songs in "A" because I don't want to tune my old roundneck up that high. Jim

Dukasyo - Posted - 03/09/2010:  09:08:34

I don't own a capo. I didn't learn with one so I've just never bothered to get one. Not that I'm opposed to their use, but it seems that once you learn the patterns in closed chord positions there are more than enough playing possibilities. At least, enough to satisfy my meager playing abilities!
Mike D.

gladgrover - Posted - 03/09/2010:  09:14:51

I use one quite often. It's not that I need to use it all the time, but I have it just incase I need to slip it on. Out of habit, maybe. It does come in handy periodically. If you look close at my profile picture, you can see it hanging on the strap.

Edited by - gladgrover on 03/09/2010 09:17:17

Dean Upson - Posted - 03/09/2010:  09:48:05

I mostly play without it, but I find it useful, especially in "A" and use it frequently there. I will add that the Bradley capo works very well for me.

Dean

SteveH - Posted - 03/09/2010:  10:50:05

I use it probably more than I should, mainly because of speed and the aforementioned hammer ons and pull offs. For instance, I am not very good for some reason at playing songs in D at a fast tempo. So, I'll throw the capo on at the 2nd and play out of C which I can do reasonably well and hit the G chord up at the 12th. If it's a slow song, I'll leave it off. I try to minimize how far up the neck I go with it, though. I've read some instruction books that basically have you use it for everything BUT G, like putting it on the 7th fret for D or 9th fret for E. I think that's crazy. Too much "tone death". By being able to play in G, C, and D, you wouldn't have to go beyond the 4th fret with it in any situation. Maybe someday I'll be good enough to not need it so much, but I refuse to look at it as a crutch. It's like with guitar. Is a barred E chord somehow better than an open E chord? I never understood that...

crh1 - Posted - 03/09/2010:  11:43:07

I own several capos and I use to use them from time to time. I find now that when I put the capo on I almost forget what I am doing. If I am with some one who does the next forty songs in "A" chord I may put it on for a tune or two, Just to get a different sound.
A friend of mine (Russ Hooper) said to me " lose the capo" . I try not to use it at all now a days.
I recently went to see Mr. Auldridge play and the first thing he did was whip out a capo and slap it on the neck.
For what its worth I would say try not to use a capo.

harperk31794 - Posted - 03/09/2010:  12:25:26

I seldom use a capo, the only exception is if I have a really good break worked out in Open G and the Singer wants to sing in A or Bb. I almost never go above Bb with a capo. If it is a song that I'll be improvising on I play without a Capo.

Ken

MissouriPicker - Posted - 03/09/2010:  16:09:36

Yeah, I pretty much agree with all that is being said. And there is a tone loss when we use a capo. Taking-up the dobro at 61 was a good thing for me, because I already spent some four decades playing guitar and had finally begun putting-together all the bits and pieces that I had learned and often played "on their own." A guitar fretboard is a guitar fretboard, be it a Martin HD28 or my cheapy Rogue squareneck. Notes and chords still follow the same musical patterns and logic. After finally "seeing the light" on all of this, I know it was only natural that I approached learning the dobro from a far-different perspective when compared to me learning my first few chords on the guitar.. I saw it the first time I looked at some of Troy's lesson samples. His approach is real easy to follow and I pretty quickly saw the many possibiilites that his lessons suggested. I'm far from a great musician, but I do have a pretty good understanding of music theory, etc....again, after many years. Anyway, I tend to get long-winded when talking about music and guitars.....thanks for all the comments..


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Edited by - MissouriPicker on 03/09/2010 16:10:11

Andy B - Posted - 03/09/2010:  18:40:03

I agree with Jim. I like to use a capo for fast hammer on and pulloff things in A, Bb or B, because I like the open strings, but above B the tone just disappears and I feel like I lose too many notes. So for C and higher, I go capo free.

Andy

tgrassdash - Posted - 03/10/2010:  11:17:31

I'm with the others... capo is good for fiddle tunes in A, but for everything else I go without. For beginners, I would recommend going without a capo at first and focus on the scales in each key... they are quite repetitive.. once you know one, its just a matter of moving a few frets up or down to play in that key. A great example is on the Rob Ickes DVD.. he spends a great deal of time teaching the scales out of C.. sort of a waste to slap the capo on the 5th and lose all that sound..

Trapper - Posted - 03/11/2010:  10:48:20

Occasionally use one in A to accomodate fiddle but otherwise no. Have found that the Bradley capo works best for me.

StephenSelby - Posted - 03/11/2010:  22:37:12

Just one more thing: the first string played open is a useful resource for playing some moving chords related to C, D, F and A. If you want to up the pitch, you only have that facility with the capo.

El Dobro - Posted - 03/22/2010:  12:22:11

If it's a faster song, I'll capo as high as B, but that's it. Not for nothing, the band does several up tempo songs in G# and the capo comes in real handy.

Patrick Sylvest - Posted - 03/23/2010:  13:12:57

Use the capo where it helps and be ready to do without when you misplace it or just ain't ready

MurkyMark - Posted - 03/23/2010:  13:40:34

I'm still waiting for my first square-neck to arrive, but on guitar I generally only use a capo if the rhythm guitar part is screaming for open position (i.e., "must-play" runs that are insane closed). The other case is when there are too many guitars in the room: sometimes I'll put a capo on 5 or 7 just to get a different tone from the other guys...

On square-neck I'm expecting to skip the capo altogether, but I don't expect to play as much bluegrass as I suspect most folks here do. Bluegrass seems to have a lot of must-play riffs that use open strings.