EJ in NJ
1. To start with, are you putting the capo on the 4th or 3rd fret? Your
post is a bit confusing.
2. If you are playing a regular open G chord, the cowboy variety, you
are playing the 3rd fret on the 6th (fattest) string, right? So it
follows, as the night follows the day, that when you capo up and play
that chord shape, the note you are playing on the 6th string will be the
name of the chord, because it is the root of the chord. So, if you slap
your capo on the third fret (not right *on* it, but you know what I
mean), and play that G shape, then you're playing a Bb. Right? Because
that note you're playing on the 6th string is a Bb.
3. When you play a regular old cowboy D chord, you play the 4th string
open, right? And lo! it is the D string. So, when you slap your capo on
and play a D shape chord, whatever note that 4th string has become is
the name of your chord. So, if you have the capo on the 3rd fret, when
you play that D shape you are playing an F chord.
This leads me to believe that they (or you) didn't mean to write
"Capo 4th". Capo the 3rd fret and play a song with the chord shapes you
would use playing in D on an uncapoed guitar, and lo! you are playing in F.
I have no idea what they mean with the G(D) thing. Maybe I'm dumb (yeah,
yeah, shut up you guys), but it doesn't seem to make sense.
Sean,
Thank you for your well thought out reply. Boy did I mess up. The song
really says Key F#, Capo 4th fret, Play D. In addition I messed up when
I referred to the third fret (should have been fourth). Does this make
any sense now?
The song "Fare Thee Well (ten thousand miles)" is from the Joan Baez
Songbook.
Thanks again,
EJ in NJ
I have found that all of the really good capos get
picked over by music store owners and pulled out
for their own use. The ones that remain for general
sale are crap. Because of this musicians don't sound
good and can't make any money. They should all study
engineering or medicine instead.
Lumpy
In Your Ears for 40 Years
www.LumpyMusic.com
I agree. I've done much better as an engineer than as a musician.
EJ (PE), in NJ
In the old days, engineers told me that
the dealers grabbed up all the really
good pocket protectors and left the
crappy ones to be sold.
naw, if they've ever been musicians they can't get into any university, much
less a good one. not even for engineering or medicine.
every one know that.
gregg
A capo is used to change the key of a song to better fit the singers
vocal range.
Learn to play the song without a capo.
Use the capo on different frets to adjust the key.
Pt
Thanks
"Lumpy" <lu...@digitalcartography.com> wrote in message
news:6d49cg...@mid.individual.net...
The one's I sell, of course.
I wouldn't sell 'em unless I used 'em.
Shubb for precision, Dunlop Faux Woodgrain
Triggers for speed and "cool factor". The
Dunlops have a photo finish that look like
either maple or rosewood.
> I guess I am not to sure what you mean by precision, speed, etc.
> I did not realize there were different capos for different playing
> styles.
I think he's referring to attributes of the capo itself, not playing
style. The Shubb has an adjustable thumbwheel, so you can precisely set
the clamp strength, but it's a bit more fiddly to work. The Dunlop is
spring-loaded, so you just clamp 'n go. But some (not me) may find that
it clamps too hard or softly, and it's not adjustable in that regard.
Nil:
> I think he's referring to attributes of the capo itself, not playing
> style. The Shubb has an adjustable thumbwheel, so you can precisely
> set the clamp strength, but it's a bit more fiddly to work. The
> Dunlop is spring-loaded, so you just clamp 'n go. But some (not me)
> may find that it clamps too hard or softly, and it's not adjustable
> in that regard.
Yup. That's exactly what I mean.
When I use two capos at a time and have the luxury
of tuning, I use a pair of Shubbs.
If I want to quickly throw on a capo and
maybe even move it during performance,
I'll use the Dunlop. I use five different
Shubbs and three different Dunlops, all
for varying purposes.
> When I use two capos at a time and have the luxury
> of tuning, I use a pair of Shubbs.
Have you ever played with a partial capo? I met this guy a while ago,
Randall Williams, who is big into multiple and partial capos, and he
talked me into getting one but I haven't taken the time yet to get into
it very far.
<http://www.whereisrandall.com/> - check out the "Teaching" and "Video"
sections for a little bit about what he does with them.
> Have you ever played with a partial capo? I met this guy a while ago,
> Randall Williams, who is big into multiple and partial capos, and he
> talked me into getting one but I haven't taken the time yet to get
> into it very far.
I do some stuff with a regular capo on 3rd fret.
then a 1-5 string capo on 5th fret.
It ends up being (sort of) drop D on the 5th,
but when you fret anything on the 6th string
it's "normal" tuning.
> I do some stuff with a regular capo on 3rd fret.
> then a 1-5 string capo on 5th fret.
>
What's this capo? I'm not familiar with the terminology, what's 1-5? Does
this capo touch 2 strings or 5 strings
> It ends up being (sort of) drop D on the 5th,
> but when you fret anything on the 6th string
> it's "normal" tuning.
What? If you capo the entire fret board at 3 and you then capo the top 5
strings at the 5 then you'd have "dropped D" (actually dropped G) tuning. If
you capo the entire fret board at 3 and then capo the 1st and 5th strings at
the 5th fret, how do you get anything D-like.
Sorry, I don't see dropped D here this confuses me. What am I missing?
Dave M.
Martel:
> What's this capo? I'm not familiar with the terminology, what's
> 1-5? Does this capo touch 2 strings or 5 strings
It covers the 1st through the 5th strings.
Leaves the 6th string un-capo'd.
Lump:
> > It ends up being (sort of) drop D on the 5th,
> > but when you fret anything on the 6th string
> > it's "normal" tuning.
Martel:
> What? If you capo the entire fret board at 3 and you then capo the
> top 5 strings at the 5 then you'd have "dropped D" (actually dropped
> G) tuning. If you capo the entire fret board at 3 and then capo the
> 1st and 5th strings at the 5th fret, how do you get anything D-like.
> Sorry, I don't see dropped D here this confuses me. What am I
> missing?
It's dropped D but it's moved up 5 frets.
Dropped G, as you suggest, in that position.
I don't always do it on 3 and 5. I might do
it on any two frets.
BUT - It's not really dropped because as soon
as you fret something on the 6th string it's
back to "normal" tuning. Not the same as if
you'd capo the entire 5th but drop the 6th
string down 2 half steps.
First capo covers 333333
Second capo covers x55555
Now, for example, if you played a normal G shaped chord
above that 875558 the "dropped" string wouldn't come
into play. It would be fretted in the "normal" spot
for that shape chord.
Huh. A capo on a fiddle. I guess that could work. Somethin new to
try this winter.
I like the Dunlop cause it fits my six shooter as well as my twelve
shooter - perfectly. I can't get the other brand of capo (capii?
capae?) to work with both - especially the 12 shooter. I also use a
Kyser cut capo (or short capo, if you prefer). Sometimes together.
And then it really gets interesting in alternate tunings. Especially
with the 12 shooter. But then again, I'm a Kotke fan. To each his
own.
You were misinformed. The crappy ones were handed out as door prizes
at IEEE meetings.
> It's dropped D but it's moved up 5 frets.
> Dropped G, as you suggest, in that position.
> I don't always do it on 3 and 5. I might do
> it on any two frets.
Ok, I understand the terminology.
> BUT - It's not really dropped because as soon
> as you fret something on the 6th string it's
> back to "normal" tuning. Not the same as if
> you'd capo the entire 5th but drop the 6th
> string down 2 half steps.
>
> First capo covers 333333
> Second capo covers x55555
>
> Now, for example, if you played a normal G shaped chord
> above that 875558 the "dropped" string wouldn't come
> into play. It would be fretted in the "normal" spot
> for that shape chord.
No, yuh stumped me. You've got a G shaped chord but the root note is now
F not G because the 6th string is "dropped. A G7 chord, I think. Why do you
think it's a G. To get a G shaped chord at the 5th fret you'd need the 6th
string capoed at 5 not at 3.
Martel:
> No, yuh stumped me. You've got a G shaped chord but the root note
> is now F not G because the 6th string is "dropped. A G7 chord, I
> think. Why do you think it's a G. To get a G shaped chord at the 5th
> fret you'd need the 6th string capoed at 5 not at 3.
> What am I missing?
Actually the root in the chord, 875558 is C.
It's just shaped like a G chord that we think
of in the cowboy position.
The only time the 6th string is dropped in that
dual capo situation is when you play it open.
Otherwise, it's fretted just as if you had
a capo on the 5th.
The guitar is still tuned to standard EADGBE.
Fretting the 6th string on the 8th fret still
gives you a C note, no matter what the capos
are doing BELOW the 8th fret.
Lumpy
You were the Ken-L-Ration St Bernard?
Yes. My dog's bigger.
www.LumpyMusic.com
Ok, got it. I don't know why I found this so confusing. Lack of coffee
maybe,
Dave M.