I'm curious. I play with others who use capos and I do just fine without one, but I have to work harder than they do, playing bar chords and "D" or "F" chord patterns all over the neck. I always thought using a capo was cheating, however they get to play open chords with all 6 strings, up and down the neck, and I believe I can see a benefit to that. More strings played = Full sounding chords.

So I bought myself a Kyser capo and tried it last night with Overdrive and Distortion, playing open chords up and down the neck. The chords were sweet, and I could still play lead anywhere above the capo just fine.

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Playing out - Pedalboard, 5150, and 2x12" Cab.
Playing out, 1 to 3 songs max - Roland Cube 60.
At home - Pedalboard, Valve Jr. Head, & 1x10".
At home when everyone is asleep - Pedalboard through Dean DA20.

I think there are some songs that are just a lot easier to play with a capo, at least if you intend on playing them in their original key. For example:

"Shake Appeal" - Iggy and the Stooges (capo 1)
"America" - Simon and Garfunkel (capo 3)
"Romeo and Juliet" - Dire Straits (capo 6)

As for songwriting, I've noticed a capo is helpful in a few ways:
- Maybe you write a really sweet progression that you realize isn't in your vocal range, so you use a capo to change the key without changing what you're actually playing.
- Maybe you write a sweet progression and realize it'd be a lot easier to play if you'd only written it in a different key.
- Maybe you want to change the sound of your guitar to aim for a higher register. I've gotten some great mandolin-like effects this way.
- Maybe you tune down a half step (or more) and want to be able to access "traditional" tuning without actually retuning.

The capo is "cheating" in the same way any other tool is "cheating": it makes your job easier, which can either be seen as a cop-out or as a way to facilitate your songs. If it's about the song sounding good, sometimes it takes a few tools to get there. Pedals, anyone?

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My Rig
My band, Panda Circus

Want to acquire:
- Yamaha Magicstomp
- Epiphone Slasher

I've always used one

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Double Helix

If you want to see what capo's can do check out Trace Bundy on youtube.com! Specifically Hot Capo Stew and The Love Song. This is an exceptional example of capo use and the average musician (myself) would probably never even attempt a technique like this, but non the less its a pretty damn impressive use of capo. I don't know if there's anyone else out there like him.

capos are great. thats like saying that slides or ebows or whatever else are cheating. its not just for barre chords. Plus it can allow you to play things that you normally wouldnt be able to play due to hand constraints.

Kieth Richard. Classic Stones. Open G capoed to C. If you are a lead singer playing rhythm it is sometimes much easier to capo for open cords in your pitch. Open cords sustain better and require less effort.

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Stage Guitars: '80s Thin line LP Custom, '70 LP Standard, '83 Squier Black Headstock Strat w/ Dan Torres pickups, '59 Black Danelectro DC, sometimes others.

Pedal Board: Nady UHF 10 -> TU2 -> Rocktron Big Crush -> 70s MXR Phase 100 -> Cry Baby -> Bad Monkey -> Early '80s Rat -> Early '80s Ibanez CS 9 -> Ibanez DE 7 -> Behringer Dr 100 Stereo Reverb

Stage amps: '63 Blonde Tremolux w/ two original 2X10 cabinets with a '60 Ampeg Rocket/18 watt VTB Marshall clone/ Epi VJ into a Mashall 1965A

love my capo.

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see my sale/trade thread

Capos are neat! Combined with my 7-string guitars, there are just so many possibilities.

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Rig:
KxK Sii-7 -> Fractal Axe-FX Ultra-> Carvin DCM 1540L -> Vader 4x12

the main purpose for a capo is simply to change the key, such as to adapt to a vocalists' voice range (and im saying this without reading the whole thread, i can assume someone has said this). for instance, if you play without one and play a G, Am, D (or some combo. of these), thats key of G. If you play w/ the capo on 2nd fret, and play those chords shapes, note they are now A, Bm, E, and in the key of A.

Slide guitarists often use capo, such as Albert Collins. typically they use it for open tunings purposes. for example, if a guitar is in open D tuning, and then put a capo on the 2nd fret it is now instantly open E tuning. its just a convenience for them if theyre playing slide on songs of varying key.

you probably already knew that though, essentially the capo can be thought of as your index finger making the barre. figured id just offer my 2 cents. sorry if im reiterating the obvious lol

i remember when i first bought a capo. it was my freshman year of college. holy crap it was like boooooom. instantly i had a dozen new songs.

i might be crazy, but i find a capo changes the tension of the strings on my guitar. things just sound brighter and sweeter with a capo on. and fretting chords feels different.

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methods of sonic destruction [my gear]

the way, the truth, and the light [mea philosophia]

i love using capos. my favorite spots are on the 2nd and 4th fret. i find that they open up a lot of possibilities, in that, i play things that i wouldn't normally play without a capo, and that i hear new chords when i'm using a capo.

back in 1997 i saw grant lee buffalo, and their guitar player used 2 capos at once. i wanna say one was on the 2nd fret, and the other was on 7. the one on 2 was on the top 3 strings, and the one on 7 was on the bottom 3.

word.

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My Rig:

Guitars:
Rickenbacker 330 'Grace'
Fender Telecaster 'Betty'
Schecter TSH-1 'Lucy'

Amps:
Still searching.

Pedals:
Keeley True Bypass Box, Boss TU2, DOD Icebox Chorus, Line 6 DL4

well, you are bringing the strings closer to the board w/ a capo. if you've ever noticed, they do that whenever you fret any of them just playing normally. same thing w/ capo's

I couldn't agree more. I've never understood why capos were considered cheating. I have used a capo from the beginning of my guitar playing.

Do most of you use your capo with an acoustic guitar, electric guitar, or both?

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My gear.

Want to sell: Dr. Z Route 66

Both. A capo is integral to my playing. That said, I like to use different capos for acoustic and electric.

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Double Helix