Capo Magic Chart Page 2
ADVERTISEMENT
1
2How do I use a Capo to make a song easier to
play?
If you’re given a song in a particular key, and want to use a capo to play it, then the fret
that you choose will determine what chord shapes you’ll have to use.
For each fret that you move the capo up the neck, the chords that you’ll have to play to
get the same pitch to come out will be one semitone lower.
rd
So if your Capo is on the 3
fret, and you want to hear a G coming out of your guitar,
you play an E-shaped chord.
This does mean that you can’t use the capo to play chords based on a higher key than
the one the song is in For example, you can’t take a song in F and use the capo to play
†
it using G chords
Audible
Capo 1:
Capo 2:
Capo 3:
Capo 4:
Capo 5:
Capo 6:
Capo 7:
Pitch
You play
You play
You play
You play
You play
You play
You play
C
B
A#/Bb
A
G#/Ab
G
F#/Gb
F
C#/Db
C
B
A#/Bb
A
G#/Ab
G
F#/Gb
D
C#/Db
C
B
A#/Bb
A
G#/Ab
G
D#/Eb
D
C#/Db
C
B
A#/Bb
A
G#/Ab
E
D#/Eb
D
C#/Db
C
B
A#/Bb
A
F
E
D#/Eb
D
C#/Db
C
B
A#/Bb
F#/Gb
F
E
D#/Eb
D
C#/Db
C
B
G
F#/Gb
F
E
D#/Eb
D
C#/Db
C
G#/Ab
G
F#/Gb
F
E
D#/Eb
D
C#/Db
A
G#/Ab
G
F#/Gb
F
E
D#/Eb
D
A#/Bb
A
G#/Ab
G
F#/Gb
F
E
D#/Eb
B
A#/Bb
A
G#/Ab
G
F#/Gb
F
E
You can also use this chart to select a capo position and played key in order to produce
a different kind of chord sound. For example:
C and G shapes generally produce quite ‘robust’ chord sounds. Ideal when you’re a solo guitar, but
•
can sound ‘muddy’ when combined with other instruments,
E and A keys are quite ‘harmonic’, and sound great when thrashed, but can contain some tricky
•
chords (B’s, C#m’s, etc…)
D is a ‘pretty’ key, that’s great for adding detail, but if you’re a solo guitar, it can sound a bit weak.
•
†
th
This isn’t quite true. If you put your Capo on the 8
fret, and played a G shaped chord, it would actually come out as an F, but
this would be an extremely trebly chord, sounding more like a mandolin, or similar instrument than the tone you’d normally
expect from an acoustic guitar!
ADVERTISEMENT
0 votes
Related Articles
Related forms
Related Categories
Parent category: Life