In the first two posts of this miniseries, I’ve written about How to Use a Capo and How to Use a Cut Capo. If you haven’t checked those out, click the links and read through them later.
I’ve also put together a quick capo cheat sheet you can download and print: www.chrisfromcanada.com/capocheatsheet.pdf
I’ve tried to format it so you can stick it in your guitar case and pull it out when you need it. Hopefully that’s helpful for you!
So to wrap up this mini blog series, I wanted to write a post that talks about a few little advanced capo ideas that might help you take things to the next level. It’s always fun to explore the tools we have at our disposal and how they can help us do things a little differently and maybe inspire some creativity.
Three quick advanced capo ideas.
First … Try recreating the drop D sound or even the cut capo sound by taking a regular capo and flipping it to the other side of the guitar neck at the second fret. Rather than placing it across all six strings, let the low E string ring open. So you now have the low E string open and the capo across the A, D, G, B and E strings at the second fret.
Play a D chord shape moved up two frets, but instead of muting the low E and A strings like you might do with a normal D chord, let them play. You get these notes: E B E B E G#. This is a beautiful open/drop E chord that puts the third of the chord on the highest string and from there you can do lots of variations. On the high E string, play the third fret to get a suspended chord or leave that string open to create a 9th chord.
Experiment with different chord shapes with this capo configuration, but you’ve basically created a drop D sound raised up two frets just by flipping your capo around to the other side.
Second … One of my favorite things to do with a cut capo is use it in different keys. Pair a cut capo with a regular capo to create some beautiful sounds on your guitar. Instead of only using your cut capo for songs in E or A, try placing your regular capo on the third fret and your cut capo two frets above that. Play your cut capo chords, and you’re now playing in an open G tuning.
This can be amazing when you’ve got two guitar players on your team and you’re looking for different voicings and tuning options. Again, experiment with this setup and find the sweet spot for your guitar!
Third … This one came in the comments of the cut capo post, and it was something I had never heard of before, but you should check this out. The SpiderCapo is a total rethink of the capo and seems like an incredible tool in your kit. It would definitely take some time to figure out all of the options, but if you are a feature guitar player and looking for something very unique, this might be exactly the thing you need. Check it out: www.spidercapo.com.
