Capos are essential pieces of gear for helping you get that coveted open-chord sound up and down the fretboard. But in learning how to use capos effectively, one thing that is often overlooked is how they affect the guitar’s tuning.
Capos will typically force your strings to go a bit sharp, and the further up the neck you place the capo, the worse the pitch will get. If you have a single tension capo, like a Kyser, the problem can be magnified further because these types of capos usually have a strong grip. An adjustable capo, like a Shubb, can be loosened to minimize the tuning issues.
No matter which capo you use, you should always check your tuning with the capo in place. You’ll probably notice that the lower strings (6 and 5) are sharper than the higher strings, so prepare to lower their pitch more to compensate. When you go back to a song with no capo, you’ll have to re-tune.
Although acoustic guitars are most closely associated with capos, there are a few examples of capo use with electrics. I like to encourage guitarists to use an adjustable capo with electrics, since the Kyser types are typically too strong and will force an electric wildly out of tune.
The intro to “Hotel California”, for example, is not only played on electric but is capoed at fret 7! The potential for out-of-tune notes in this situation is very high Continue reading “Money Guitar Tip #3: Capos and Tuning” »
