Guitarists, you are using the CAPO wrong!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
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My favorite guitar capo: amzn.to/463pZNK
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After you capo, when you check the tuning, instead of adjusting the tuning pegs, you can pull on the strings either behind or in front of the capo to raise or lower the pitch. When done that way, your guitar will still be perfectly in tine after removong the capo. I learned that from Samurai Guitarist!
I love it when I get notified that he's posted
I’ve never open apps faster!
In flamenco, the capo (cejilla in Spanish) is not primarily used to change key, but to change the texture of the sound. 2nd fret and 4th fret are common positions. It also makes it easier to grab difficult chord shapes because the frets are closer together.
Thanks for that information!
Also lowers the action in the higher registers
@@karanvasudeva5424 That's true for a classical guitar but flamenco guitars are built and set up to have low action already so it's not such an important factor.
Thank goodness you did a video on the capo. I've been waiting for Years for this critical information. Not sure why other classical guitar teachers with videos (or not) don't have a specific lesson on this important device we all use! Thanks, again Brandon!
One more thing.
Buy a CLASSICAL guitar capo, not a steel string guitar capo.
I came here to say this. You beat me to it. 😅
@@mongarcia9151 Because they have different neck shapes!
Not really mistake but one thing with a capo that I don't think gets talked about enough is not using it to change key, but to stay in the same key but with different voicings and/or allowing open strings to happen in a key/chord that normally doesn't have open strings. That or still changing key but again using different voicings. A lot of times I won't go much higher than the 2nd or 3rd fret, because I'm not just playing the same thing higher, I'm using different voicings.
This also works the other way around. For example if I'm playing with someone who's using a capo, I'll not use a capo but play the same chords at lower voicings. This allows the two guitars to have a fuller, richer sound compared to two guitars just playing the same thing.
Another thing with playing with singers would be sometimes I'll tune my guitar a full step down and play with the capo on the 2nd fret for standard. I do that on 12 string a lot too. That way I can also go down in pitch while keeping the same voicings, as well as being able to go to a higher key but with lower voicings to maintain low end. I've done lots of gigs where it's just me and a singer, and I find it just sounds bigger/fuller when you maintain the low end.
Thank you, you've give me a lot to think about in my guitar playing technique after so many decades of just learning self-taught! The one thing I did kinda figure out eventually on my own, is that it's a good idea to retune your guitar after placing a capo as it's never quite right sounding
I am a huge Tony Rice fan and learned very early how to properly use a capo, Tony was a master at it. very close to the fret, sometimes over it, and never over the fret. tightened as it pulls the strings sharp. and I don't use clamp style like Kysers etc. I find they don't deliver equal pressure across the strings. I use cradle type like the Shubb F1 or Elliott, and last but not least, Paige cradle type Capo's. Great advice, you, Sir, are top shelf... Peace
These videos are incredibly helpful. Thank you, kind Sir. 😊
Awesome video once again Brandon! I was thinking while watching this that I would love to see a video of a practice session of you playing a piece you either already know and are perfecting or are freshly learning. I think it would be wonderful to see the raw footage of your sessions ! (Especially your arrangement of Nocturne Op 9. No 2)
I found this video absolutely delightful, Brandon! Thanks for the tips!
I'm not sure if it was intentional but I feel that the pacing of the video is a bit faster than your other guitar tip videos. But I really like this pacing a lot!
Thanks! Yes I'm experimenting with faster pacing. There's a fine line between fun and frantic though haha
What is always awesome is you can click on the little setting, while watching/listening to the video and Slow Down or Speed Up the video.
When deciding whether or not to use a capo, take into account the following: with a capo, you always lose notes on the low end so your guitar will have less notes on the low end available; you gain the ability to use open strings but you lose the experience of having to find new fingerings and new ways to play the song, and you lose the practice of having to improve your strength for barring technique. The problems you need to solve when transposing a song or playing in a "non-friendly for guitar key" makes you a better guitar player and musician but sometimes a capo makes it easier to focus on the expressive side of the music and create sounds with open strings that would be impossible otherwise.
I can be a bit of a tuning snob and figured out correct capo placement because of that. Strings (especially the thinner ones) go sharper than they should if the capo is too far behind the fret.
Does it also matter which way the capo is facing? The part near the hinge has a leverage advantage compared to the tip, so maybe the hinge should be near the tightest strings? (I'm not a guitar player, just curious)
I don't think so. Just depends if you feel one side gets in the way of your hand or not.
Those G7th capos are wonderful. They do them for a range of guitar types and they all work. Amongst others I have their 12-string capo. It’s the only one I have found to be utterly reliable across the mess of strings on a 12-string, in all positions. Brilliant.
Now you’ve read this, hit subscribe to support the guy. It’s free and his content is priceless.
Have you ever tried a flamenco capo? Slower to put on but so stable and good
A lot of flamenco players will actually just use cheap capos like D'addario or Dunlop. Kinda funny to see Paco Pena at his Tiny Desk concert: ridiculously valuable golden era Gerundino guitar and cheap Planet Waves capo.
@@syntaxlost9239 can't stand the ones that dig into the wood!!!
Can you do a video with Alexandra Whittingham? I want her to make videos like yours and it seems like she is trying to. I think it would be good for classical guitar industry and for both of you if there were more variations of channels like yours to watch. You just have the best videos. Thanks! 🙏🏼
Great vid, it answered a question I had. Another question: what is it about the capo you've used for so long that makes you prefer it over others? There's so many different brands available today.
It can be clamped with one hand and you control the exact pressure.
Funny, Brandon... I purchased a capo similar to yours. I placed it upside down for a while (at least it was parallel to the fret, haha)! I know, I know... I'm weird. Thank you so much for the tip!
There are capos that are "dual", they have a flat surface and a curved surface to match your fret board ie classical vs regular acoustic guitar. So placing it upside down might be correct.
No wonder I've been having trouble. I couldn't get to capon to stay in the right place
I’m a big fan of this guy. Been sub-ed for years!
Tell us more about the Baroque A = 415 tuning
Tune down half a step. Not much more to it than that!
@@daniel.gibbon I thought another conspiracy theory like 432hz tuning
@@senti7965 you can use any hz you want, whatever sounds better to you, as long as you are using it just cause of how it sounds, its not a "conspiracy", theres plenty of music played in 432hz purely cause they liked the sound more
It's a big topic that I've addressed in other videos. Pitch was relative before ~1900. We call the modern A 440hz and others in the past have called it 415, 392, 465 and other pitches that were relative to them. The idea that 432hz is special is indeed a crazy conspiracy like flat earth.
How did they achieve 415Hz anyway? On those theorbos? In the 17th century?
When you are sight reading what are you thinking? Are you thinking the note name while you are thinking of melody/accompaniment and fingering? When I do that I feel like saying the note name slows me down idk if that’s a good thing or not.
I am surprised to hear you say that you've discovered the G7th Performance 3 fifteen years ago... it was my understanding that the Classical version of it is quite recent.
Have you used the version that doesn't include "Classical" in the name with a classical guitar? does it work?
And on the flip side, does the G7th Performance 3 Classical version work well for you on 6-string acoustic and/or electric guitars too?
I have recently asked you that on another video, but it seems much more fitting here.
By the way, I am shocked to hear so many of your viewers are not subscribed, and I am so happy I am! To anyone who isn't subbed yet - you really should, this channel is so worth it 👍👍
I got so excited to see you posting a capo video after feeling like I have been recently commenting eagerly with questions about the G7th capo.
I have to say, it really feels like you listen to your viewers and I for one truly appreciate that about your videos (along with how calming you make them. It helps focus on the music & the instrument this way. Truly delightful to watch).
Interesting on both fronts as a Guitarist and also as a Classical Trained Singer. I didn't know Schubert's Lied was written for guitar and voice first. Been thinking of working some of the 20th Cent Art Songs for guitar and voice - one man band setup. 😁
Thanks Brandon.
I'll add another one that took me FAR too long to realize: The open end of the capo should point down, not up. For reasons I cannot explain, I used to have it the other way around, and my hand would constantly bump up against the tightening screw on the closed side. One day, I remember thinking "why did they design these things this way??" and then immediately realized I'm an idiot and just reversed it. I've never had the issue again.
Hey Brandon, can you at some point speak about extended range classical guitars? I see a lot of them in many videos but rarely someone speaks about them. They are also impossibly rare to find in retail. I play a 7 string electrical and recently getting into classical, and would love to have my low B on a classical. Is it reccomended? Is it even useful? I love your channel, keep it up, you rock!!
Sorry if this has been answered already, but what classical strings do you recommend ? Ideally that I could find at a local guitar shop :) I can’t find the specific video I remember you made where you talked about it.
I like Aquila alabastro low tension.
Thank you for this extremely useful tip!
Try a Schubb capo,it has a much smaller profile and has pressure adjustment..................................................
You’re thinking of Planet Waves clamp spring adjustable capo… rather than that vintage surgery instrument.
had to scroll surprisingly far down to finally see someone suggest a Shubb capo because they're so good! That adjustability lets you put the minimum amount of force on the strings to keep from pulling them sharp. The narrow profile is really nice further up the neck when you're fretting close to them them.
Great tips!!! Thank you, Monsieur Brandon 🎶
@@weriem 🥰
I see many people place the capo upside down. Personally, i think it gets in the way of the left hand when playing on the next fret to where the capo is placed.
Amazing
"Its not all fair game...."😊
if you make a beginner playlist for "Bardcore" music perhaps as an intro to guitar I will watch that; I'm looking for inspiration and especially for vocabulary so that I can internalize the guitar fyi I play electric but I also have a classical guitar and I alternate between them but I find that classical guitarists have more vocabulary and vocabulary is super important
I always thought retuning after you capo was a bad idea, since the tension behind the capo will be different and this is where the pegs are.. Can't this harm the strings, or mess with tuning in a bad way? Thoughts anyone?
For whatever reason I tend to play the capo upside down compared to the way you use it your video, meaning with the pivot joint on the bottom of the neck. 🤔
same here. i've been playing 60 years and always baffled by the way most use it -- seems to me crazy-more clumsy to use. also, using it the way we do allows for more useful partial-capo techniques. maybe it's because they've used crappy capos that need to put on that way or the bass strings buzz?
Right or left? I'm confused ;)
Some pros angle the capo a little bit so it doesn't get in the way. Doesn't seem to adversely affect tone.
The title should have been "[American] Guitarists, you are pronouncing CAPO wrong"
If I were speaking Italian I'd pronounce it the Italian way, but when speaking English I pronounce it cape-o. At the opera, I'll mention cah-po.
Over here (USA), a “cap-oh” is a “ caporegime”, or captain, in the Italian mafia. Languages are living things, constantly changing. Most Americans are familiar with the term hors d'ouevre, pronounced 'or-derves', which I'm sure makes every Frenchman cringe. However, like 'capo', the term has been borrowed from another language, and is now a part of American speech, pronounced the American way. To-may-toe, to-mah-toe, lets call the whole thing off...but what about Gnocchi? we've not discussed Gnocchi yet, or... have we??
It seems universal among steel string acoustic guitar players in the United States to pronounce capo as “cay-po,” but I have heard nylon string players over here use the preferred “cah-po” pronunciation, but not all do. Those classical players are much closer to the European traditions of the guitar, so it makes sense that again, many but not all of them will say "cah-po".
Anyway, I find both “cay-po” and “cah-po” to be equally understandable. There’s room for both. Therefore, frogandspanner, cut the pedantic crappola: You Obviously understand what Brandon is talking about, and quite frankly, I think you are jealous of his abilities, and want everyone, including him to have a negative day?! This is why the world is so divisive as it is, people like Frogandspanner (a French frog, perhaps???)
@@classicG342 Here in England I would say capo, not kaypo.
That's not how language works.
Oh the things people will find to feel superior about
How do you recommend learning notes of a song and or learning how to reading notes of different positions?
I teach this in my online course: Classicalguitar-pro.com
0:06 it’s capo, not capo. (Yes, this is a joke.)
Continuing on with this: It’s Acker, not Acker.
how are you going to get any of this wrong
You would be surprised...I see it everywhere.
Good morning Brandon, I ask you a question: "are you a classical guitarist or a lutenist? because they are 2 totally different instruments to play! Thank you
Both!
there’s good reason for putting the capo at an angle
I play fingerstyle on folk guitar, and I make the capo “mistakes” intentionally because sometimes the capo will get in the way of my hand when I play those notes close to the neck. With all due respects, I don’t think these are mistakes and capos placed in these ways would work just fine.
Although we are supposed to press as close to the frets as possible, if the pressure on the string is enough so that the string touches the fret completely, it would not buzz or sound any noticeably different would it? At least from a physics standpoint, the part that produces sound is from the fret to the saddle, rather than from your finger/capo to the nut. If you watch Tommy Emmanuel play “stay close to me”, he also does not place the capo close to the fret.
Is it normal to talk about the position as "to the left" or "to the right" of a fret? Given that left and right are reversed for us, I had to keep doing mental gymnastics to understand what was meant. I would have used "above" and "below" rather than "to the left" and "to the right" as that's the same whether you're the guitarist or looking at the guitarist.
Other than that, great video as usual 🙂
It's from the players point of view :)
I always hated crooked capos; thanks for letting me know there was substance to my pet peeve!🤣
Its funny youve decided to talk about how to properly use a capo today. I literally just started working on a piece which requires me to use a capo for the first time. 😅
17 years playing guitar and I have never use a capo
Maybe I just haven’t been in touch with a style that requires it
I’ve heard it said that one reason why classical guitars don’t have any fret markers is because guitarists, especially in the flamenco tradition, used capos quite heavily and the use of clay dots would actually be more a hindrance than a benefit. Can you confirm that, Brandon?
Nopes. I was not using the capo wrong.
I've been using correct finger placement since the 70's and used the capo (something I almost never use) in the same manner. In fact, nobody ever even told me these things, it just sounds a whole lot better.
1 and 2 could have easily been one tip 🤗
Is there consensus on why Americans say "capo" as kay-poh instead of kah-poh? The capo gets its name from the Italian word capotasto, kah-poh-tahs-toh, and I've always wondered where the different pronunciation comes from.
Different capodasters might have different tension. I don't agree with your first advice in all cases - I've put capos on guitars close to the frets and the capos applied such high tension to the strings that the strings got bent around the frets in question. The tuning suffered. You can do a similar thing with your fingers as well - if you pressed too hard on a string right next to a fret, it would get bent out of tune.
Therefore a guitar might be closer to being in tune if the capo is in the middle between frets, should the capo apply a lot of tension to the strings.
Even your guitar sounded out of tune to me when you applied the capo right next to the fret in the video.
Get a shubb capo, you can adjust the force so it doesn't pull the strings sharp 🙂
@@stephenshoihet2590 I was not impressed with the one I have. It didn't fit well. I couldn't adjust it very freely.
if i dont do the thing you showed in the thumbnail then my hands will keep hitting the capo and also some chordds are really awkward when capo is close to the fret
Then you need to adjust your technique :)
I don't use capo's. I think guitar does not need it. Anything you can play with a capo you can arrange for two guitars (or more).
So yeah, I don't know why you say that I'm using the capo wrong. Is not using it at all wrong?
Some songs say to use a capo (like Wonderwall for example). Is it also wrong to use it in this case?
We are talking about what one person should do. Suggesting multiple guitarists doesn't help.
If one guitarist is playing a song with a singer by Dowland, Schubert, Sor, or Rodrigo, and the singer asks to raise the key, the capo is the obvious choice.
The guitar has good keys and not so good keys. It also depends how complicated your part is.
i love me a good capo
I've seen lots of flamenco guitarists play with a capo with no singer being involved. Why would they use a capo if they don't need to accommodate for a singer?
To bring the piece to a higher pitch without changing how it's fingered.
@@brandonacker thanks!! but...if there's no singer...why would they want to change the pitch?
I use the same capo and the same way you use it.
As soon as the big arrows appear I'm gone 😢
Why don't you post a video playing tango en skai...I have heard it a lot in your background...but would love to hear a proper performance...
It's on my CD Classical Guitar favorites: www.arpeggiato.com/cd/
But I haven't played it in 10 years and have lost interest in relearning it.
70$ for a capo? What makes it so expensive?
For those not playing on their own, I want to point out that sometimes you don't want to retune after putting a capo on. Tune it without the capo, then put the capo on and leave the tuning alone. This is because it is not a practice that is employed by everyone, and if your playing partner doesn't also do it then you're better off being slightly 'out of tune' because you will be in tune with your playing partner. You don't want to be the guy that's always nagging their fellow musician to retune after putting a capo on 😅
I play a 12 string jumbo and everything he says is true with a whole lot of emphasis.
4:57 It would be nice if you wouldn't use ai-"art".
Capodastrtum😀
insightful vid, very cool
(commenting for the algo gods)
What if we don't have capo
Then you won't have to worry about using a capo incorrectly!
I love how you called it capo and not capo.
I was hoping he would say capo, like you should, but instead said capo 😢
Tomato, tomato…
@@KrwiomoczBogurodzicy wow, never heard pronounced like that. Ok man, I mean, it takes all types I guess
Cenes
Noice.
My guitar professor at Berklee told me years ago that capos were for lazy guitar players. Haven’t touched one since.
That's definitely not true but it's a good thing to tell a student so they learn to play in all keys. However, you simply cannot take a good classical guitar piece or vocal accompaniment from Schubert in D major and play it well in D# major. You will lose all of your open strings and will play terribly.
Do not think your professor was a Master in the art. There are situations where you have to use it; unless your fingers are as long as Rachmaninoff's!? LOL!
@@classicG342 I don’t think there’s such a thing as mastering guitar. There’s too many styles and variables for any one person to be a master. Only so many hours in the day. But as an impressionable teenager who respected their teacher and just happy to be there. I took their advice to heart. And over the years I haven’t experienced a setting when it was absolutely necessary. Though I primarily play jazz, jazz fusion and gypsy jazz. I was just sharing what he told me. I’m not being judgy.
@@Fr33Diveralso capo can be very good for creative playing where you only transpose like the three top strings only or something like that. Just remember there are no rules in art
To be honest I read the original comment as endorsement of the "lazy guitarist" view even if that was not what was intended. But I can offer another reason for using a capo. One performance I did where the band had two steel strung acoustics I had a capo on the fifth fret to change the timbre of the instrument. It meant the guitars filled a different part of the tonal spectrum and created a richer sound. We only used it on one song but it worked well in that case and created some variety within the set of songs that we performed.
Common mistake: cay-poh 😂
Cap-oh 👍
Would you say that the formerly proper pronunciation had been overruled by the vast majority of English speakers who use the word these days? I mean, how often do you hear guitarists say cah-po? Toe-may-to also seems to have won out over toe-mah-to.
@@WSBM I'm British, it will NEVER be Toe-may-to!!
which also explains why I've NEVER heard any British person call it a cay-poh
@@myturningpoint Ahhh, therein lies the rub.
I personally say cap-oh as well. However, it is no longer truly a mistake anymore. It's more of a regional thing, strangely enough. USA & Canada pronounce it cay-po, whereas the rest of the world pronounces it like the original (I believe French) pronunciation: Cap-oh.
I'm not a fan of this fact myself, and it is very difficult for me to accept at times, but: Language changes (I'd say evolves, but it devolves too, and we should try to accept it just like the true linguists do, haha)
It's short for capodastro. An Italian term for "head of fretboard". Hence kah-po sounds better to my ears.
C# Major? Is it Db Major you mean?
No it's db when transposing down. He said up
@@anuvette Both are correct because they are enharmonic. It could be either depending on the context.
Has anyone ever actually put on a capo like that? :L
I see it everyday
I'm a bit surprised you don't use the Italian pronunciation.
He's not Italian.
19 secons ago??? thx youtube!
Very basic
You should have told what to do if the guitar is off tune with a capo
I did. Re-check the tuning and tune as needed. Don't just put a capo on and assume you will still be in tune.
Wait what is that pronunciation of capo???! Is this an American thing?
@@classicG342 weird. How do Italian-Americans pronounce their t when they are speaking Italian at home then?
Capo? Blasphemy!!