Everything You Need to Know About Capos

[@sonja_rademacher]

You are the most capable and likable guitar teacher I have ever known. Thanks for uploading all your videos.

[@DeeDee-2]

Handsome too :)

[@michaelkartman3543]

This is the first video I’ve ever watched where music theory actually penetrated my brain and I’m beginning to understand it. Thank you so much Sean!!!!!

[@ChristianNally]

I do a thing using two capos that I call "Drop Dead Tuning". It's for when you're at an open mic and the owner of the guitar you're borrowing doesn't want you to tune their guitar away from where it's at. "Oh yeah?" you say... "Well Drop Dead!" cause I can still play my freakin' song that needs Drop D shapes by putting TWO (count 'em 2!) capos on. One to be the new neck and then a second capo to cover strings 1 thru 5 just two short frets higher. The two capo trick lets you adjust to singers as you describe AND gives you the sweetness that goes with two complete voicings of the chord with a beefy root in the bass plus the inverted voicing on the higher three strings. Love it! Thanks for all the great videos. (I'm still trying to figure out how to get a Salty Blues comment in under the radar.)

[@ChristianNally]

(This trick results in a weird setup where you still get to keep your G-shape, but admittedly you do lose the E-shape chord, unless you're willing to mute the 6-string on E-shape chords for a change.)

[@seandaniel23]

+Christian Nally I love it. I can imagine the dual capo routine to be very intimidating to other musicians as well :)

[@ChristianNally]

Yes. People fear me.

[@MrBumt]

Thank you for lessons,tips,tricks and everything you teach us!Best wishes from Lithuania,you're the best!

[@seandaniel23]

+MrBumt Thanks so much for watching! Cheers from the US!

[@alansmyth2204]

I love capos write a lot with them cool sounds My go to teacher when Im stuck learnt more from this guy than anyone so thanks a million

[@DSpeir-pi6tm]

I found that by tuning down a whole step then applying the capo at the 2d fret puts me in a perfect standard tuning, as recommender by my old bands bass player :)

[@seandaniel23]

+Dspeir Yup! Plus it affects the timbre of the guitar which can be good or bad :)

[@alex_jermaine]

0:34 !!!!! You definitely passed the vibe check my friend! Made me cackle out loud!! 🤣🤣

[@MrBHBjr]

Thanks man, I always enjoy your lessons because you seem to show unique ways of utilizing the content of what you teach.

[@seandaniel23]

+MrBHBjr Thanks so much for watching!

[@RadioHPedroS]

Dude you always look so chill, I want to crack open a cold ones with you so bad.

[@seandaniel23]

+Pedro Salas My man! Thanks so much Pedro, chill is the only way to be :)

[@DanSZiegler]

Whoa, great video Sean! Wasn't expecting the great lesson on theory. This will be a video I rewatch and study. Thank you!

[@seandaniel23]

+Daniel Ziegler Always happy to help Daniel!

[@miamistomp]

Capo is great for making mundane progressions sound different For example you can use D shape chord with its great hammer and pull off licks in the key of E by capoing the bottom 5 strings at the 2nd fret and leaving the low E open Damn gave away a trade secret

[@seandaniel23]

+miamistomp :)

[@nickyengle9668]

New to this site,Love this guy,coool!!!

[@ajaykc977]

Great video. Simplified and detailed at the same time. Thank you Sean.

[@JimmyFloridatube]

best capo tutorial yet out of 5.

[@seandaniel23]

Thanks so much!

[@Sonserf369]

Great video as always. Really enjoy your teaching style.

[@seandaniel23]

+DeadHour Thanks so much! I'll keep em coming!

[@bungalowbluesman]

Super helpful Sean thank you. I followed you all the way until the final example (G#etc). I so nearly get it i can almost taste it!

[@seandaniel23]

+gary16642 Thanks so much for watching!

[@nickyengle9668]

No apocalypse yet,haha. Best vids ive seen,Thanks Sean!

[@leebraly3904]

Great info. Thanks for sharing.

[@seandaniel23]

+LEE BRALY No problem!

[@richardelg4412]

I think I got it! Thanks Sean.

[@MusicManFernando]

Thank you, excellent lesson.

[@sapelesteve]

Terrific lesson as usual................

[@seandaniel23]

+Sapele Steve Thanks so much Steve!

[@Claimjumper55]

Since I've been watching your channel, I have to answer "yes" when people ask if I take lessons. Thanks for this and all the great teaching.

[@seandaniel23]

+Darrell McMillan Thanks so much for saying so Darrell! Glad you're digging the lessons!

[@captainkangaroo4301]

Sean, you should consider doing a review of the String Butler.

[@seandaniel23]

+Jeff Johansen Good idea, I'll hit em up!

[@Videoguy64]

Sean I love your vids your always keeping it real man. Your funny as hell. I laughed hard when you called yourself a douche for owning a expensive capo

[@seandaniel23]

+Stone Gulliksen Haha, thanks so much man.

[@1shannonleggette]

Great video.

[@chrisedley2839]

Awesome video... thanks!

[@seandaniel23]

+Chris Edley Thanks so much Chris!

[@louieangeldeleon]

I get this about 90%. Ive watched 3 times and im almost there

[@JensLarsen]

Haha! I only got a capo when my girlfriend wanted to learn the guitar. But since I discovered that Bluegrass players use capos I am re-evaluating my bias against capos :D

[@seandaniel23]

+Jens Larsen Open your heart to capos Jens.

[@JensLarsen]

I will do my best to keep not only my triad voicings but also my hear open 😁

[@seandaniel23]

If you can change Jens, we can all change.

[@DSpeir-pi6tm]

Jens, if you apply the capo just right you can really increase your vocal range :D

[@JensLarsen]

Then I can finally sing a 5th?

[@patmcdonagh748]

Brilliant

[@raymorgan4657]

Capos are for more than beginners that don't know other chords. For me I use a capo mostly for fingerstyle where it's not simply transposing chords, but needing melody notes on open strings as well. For just playing chords and needing a higher key to sing, I can just transpose. Some of the best players in the world like Tommy Emanuel, the late great Chet Atkins, etc, use capos on a regular basis for fingerstyle.

[@robinbebbington7063]

This is gold

[@justinshaffer6597]

so I'm doing music for my VBS and there are bunch of cords that I don't know how to play liking an A7/G, F#7, D6, Bm7, E7sus/D, BbM7/D, E 2nd is there any way a capo could help me play these chords thanks

[@rogerbarreto2846]

Rocket Gaming Raco he has a video called learn 100 chords in 8 minute , that can help you

[@justinshaffer6597]

RB FingerMagic can you send me a link

[@germanbushin9723]

Well, the main difficulty with the chords you mentioned is that they have unusual bass notes, they are inverted in a way. So capo will not help you a lot with that. However, I feel like capo on 2nd fret could make it a bit easier for you, F#7 will be E7 shape and Bm7 will be Am7 shape, which are easier since they are not barred chords.

[@justinshaffer6597]

Lightik thanks for the help

[@seandaniel23]

+Lightik Great suggestion!

[@rogerbarreto2846]

playing for 2.5 years now , but never facking knew how exactly capo worked and what key I was playing in if I used a particular shape ( though I use it a lot for Fingerstyle guitar) . this helped !!!! 😄

[@seandaniel23]

+RB FingerMagic So glad to hear it!

[@GreenieG]

Thoughts on the shub style capo? I personally prefer it over the other styles, but wanted to hear what you thought about it.

[@seandaniel23]

+Greene Gaming I think they're great. Never personally owned one but a lot of my students and friends use it. It gets the job done for sure and has a cool vintage look.

[@MrJekal]

Hi so I’m a little confused on using bar chords with a capo. So would you have to identify the key you are playing in then proceed to find the correct bar chords inside that key?

[@rajaG56]

Effectively, if you are learning a song without a capo, when a singer wants to change the pitch on you, you can pretty much only move up because moving down would mean moving up 10 or 11 notches, right? For example, if you learnt a song in E major and the singer says he wants to sing it in D# Major, the only choices are to learnt the fingering for D# pitch or move the capo up 11 frets. Is my understanding correct?

[@An2oine]

Does this method work in the E,A and D mode as well? Can you add a video to teach it?

[@seandaniel23]

+An2oine Yup! Any group of chords you want to use can be moved with the capo. Great idea for a follow up vid.

[@FrankieHiltz]

"I have this 50$ capo, the only reason I have it is because I'm kind of a douche" LMAO, you're the man :p

[@seandaniel23]

+Dingleberry Tech Haha, thanks!

[@jamessmith6420]

So if i have a song with Em, G, D, A, and the capo is on the first fret the actual chords are Fm, G#, D#, A# and the key of the song is based and these chords (Fm, G#, D#, A#) but what key is that? This is the song.. tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/g/gary_jules/mad_world_ver2_crd.htm ....it says its in the key of Em but if the capo is on the first fret i dont think its Em anymore

[@seandaniel23]

+James Smith It's in the key of D# (or Eb major, same difference. Eb=D#)

[@davidhoxit4274]

This is a great tutorial

[@seandaniel23]

Get your capo on!

[@doncaviness7961]

Could you do something on the 1st 13 seconds of My Friends, RHCP? The hammer ons and pull offs are kind of tilting.

[@seandaniel23]

+don caviness good idea!

[@liamf134]

i find it hard to get my capo to sit on fret 1 without having it buzz a whole lot and it takes a lot of shifting and nudging it to stop. Are there any easier ways around this, or ways to stop it completely?

[@seandaniel23]

+Liam Forgan It's possible you might need a setup for your guitar. Or you could transpose it do a different set of chords and put the capo somewhere else :)

[@jvlp2046]

I like his LACOSTE (croc) Olive Hooded Sweat long sleeve... I like LACOSTE Polo Shirts made in France... nice...

[@station2station544]

I am also a douche and I have a G7th (because Johnny Marr uses one and the rubber is durable - maybe silicon). My beef is that on all my guitars it detunes my guitar and I have to re-tune by nearly a quarter note +/-. Im not putting it on too tight - in fact I ratchet it just enough so I have a solid fretting. It's the worst on my start but occurs on all. Any tips? (Let's assume 2nd fret). Let me add that it's an inconsistent detuning - so for example all the strings aren't detuned by the same amount. That wouldn't matter as much.

[@RemyRackham]

If it makes the notes sharp when you put capo on, you need to put the capo on top of the fret so that the inside edge of the capo is flush with the inside edge of the fret; not overhanging. I know this goes against traditional thinking, but try it out.

[@seandaniel23]

+Station 2Station That's interesting, I've never had that problem. It may be possible your guitar needs to have a setup if there are intonation problems. What happens if you just fret a note that the capo would usually sit over. Is it still registering as being in tune?

[@ronaldmiranda9330]

What's your opinion for the string butler?

[@seandaniel23]

+Ronald Miranda I've never used it! I'll try and get my hands on one!

[@luclo8076]

I demand more advanced lessons sean ! yea i said it. cause i'm a spoiled little sh*t, that's why appreciate your videos though, keep shredding :)

[@seandaniel23]

+Luc Lo Haha, ok ok ok. Coming soon!

[@virtualensaniti2824]

I watched 5 capo videos before I found yours and they were either too basic or too theory. You break it down very well on both ends for someone whose still learning. Ty for the help! 💕

[@rogerbarreto2846]

OK I m confused , if I have capo on 7th fret and I m playing Am ,C , G what chords am I playing ? the capo chart says I m playing Dm,F. C but I wanna know WHY ?? what is the root note relationship???

[@germanbushin9723]

If you are playing an Am shape with capo on 7th, you should transpose Am in your head 7 half-steps up, so it will be A-Bb-B-C-Db-D-Eb-E, so an Am shape with capo on 7th is actually an Em chord. C shape with capo on 7th will be a G chord and G shape will be a D chord. If what you meant is the opposite and you have a capo on 7th and you want to play chords that SOUND as Am, C and G and you need to figure out the shapes, you go 7 half-steps down, so to play an Am chord while your capo is on 7th, you need a A-G#-G-F#-F-E-D#-D, a Dm SHAPE, for a C-sounding chord you need an F SHAPE and for the G-sounding chord you need a C shape, just what your capo chart says.

[@sodacanman3126]

What this guy said

[@seandaniel23]

+Lightik You're on the ball today my man! Thanks for helping people out!

[@rogerbarreto2846]

Lightik thanks for replying, I meant the first case , I want to play the same sound lower down the neck cause fingering becomes difficult at 7th fret , but thing is the sound ain't the Same when playing open Em G C chords , I m trying to Play let her go by the passenger

[@RemyRackham]

Let Her Go is in the key of C (Verse: Em, C, D, Bm; Em, C, D x 2; Chorus: C, G, D, Em, C, G, D x 2). I think the capo is only there for the octave shift.

[@danielzuend1859]

you're not a douche Sean. You put your money into what you care about. nice vid.

[@rogerbarreto2846]

Daniel Zuend I use a $5 dollar Capo so...

[@seandaniel23]

+Daniel Zuend Haha, thanks for the support Daniel!

[@rogerbarreto2846]

some random loser haha

[@justinshaffer6597]

Sean I need your help

[@donotlaughagain5093]

why capo has that little hook at the end?

[@seandaniel23]

To give you something to leverage when you pinch and release it.

[@zachg7356]

Hey, how would you incorporate the capo to a detuned or upturned guitar? (would it only work well in e standard/eb standard?)

[@jummysea463]

Putting a capo on the first fret of a guitar in E standard is almost like tuning the guitar to F standard (which I don't really think is a thing but suspend your disbelief for just a second). Likewise, putting a capo on the first fret of a guitar in Eb standard is similar to tuning it back up to E standard. If by detuned you mean like Drop D, it'd be just like putting the guitar into "Drop D#/Eb". I'm not sure what you mean by upturned (uptuned? May I ask you to elaborate on what kind of tunings you're talking about?) A capo will "work" fine in any tuning, you just need to know how to work with the tuning you're in.

[@seandaniel23]

+JummySea Great answer!

[@RemyRackham]

At 12:37, I thought my one big capo question was about to be answered, but alas! No luck. Here it is: I need an easy way to figure out the capoed (can capo be a verb?) fret to play a song in standard tuning when the original is down-tuned a half-step. For some reason, the concept is a little too abstract for me, and I struggle. In the name of all that is good and holy, please help. My brain hurts.

[@jummysea463]

You have three solutions that I can think of off the top of my head. 1.Putting the capo on the 11th fret, which probably won't be too easy to play with 2. You might be able to transpose the song down to a key where the chords are more open-shape-friendly (coined the term myself, really rolls off the tongue, huh) then compensate for the downward transposition by putting the capo on. Eg, if you were to move the chords Eb-G#-Bb down one semitone, you would get D-G-A. By putting the capo on the first fret in E standard (thus counter-acting the downward transposition), you're playing the shapes of D-G-A, but the chords are really sounding as Eb-G#-Bb. 3. Eb can be played at the 6th fret on the A string, and Ab at the 4th fret on the E string etc. You might not need a capo at all if you can play these as barre chords. However, if you're wanting to play something a little more complex than just strumming chords, this might not work, but it's worth a shot. Hopefully, at least one of these works for you. If not, you could always tune down to Eb standard and put a capo on the first fret to play as if you were in E standard.

[@RemyRackham]

Mind = blown. OF COURSE! I'm thinking of them as flats, when I need to be thinking of them as SHARPS!! Not Eb, but D#. Down to D > Capo 1 > D#. Voila! THANK YOU. That's so easy!

[@jummysea463]

Exactly, you're welcome!

[@adimeola]

La bamba!

[@seandaniel23]

+adimeola Thanks for watching!

[@MaxBeamer]

No one mentions using on half the strings but everyone does it

[@budandbean1]

But Sean, I have a cutaway guitar... so it's alright if I put the capo on at the 12th fret, right? No... ;-)

[@seandaniel23]

+Buddy Martin :)

[@batman-lq5mv]

What guitar is that? I've been looking at buying a nice Taylor recently.

[@seandaniel23]

+Radicole It's a GA3, love it. Sometimes you can still find used ones. If not a 314 is pretty much the same thing.

[@bartcrawford8462]

ah ha! but is there any way to play a Lick* in a G shape in the key of F with a capo? (without going to the 10th fret?

[@asadkhan5607]

i think each chord is going half step down as capo goes higher . isn't it ?

[@seandaniel23]

Yup! I mean depending on your perspective down or up, but yeah like an Am with the capo on the 1st fret would be a Bbm.

[@asadkhan5607]

i dont understand the shifting of 5 frets back from 10th to 5th as keys are always complicated for me to understand.i always miss some part in it. :(

[@philcarpenter]

I'm kind of a douch... Lol 😂 real talk right there. Only reason to have a $50 capo is because... Fuck it, I like it, it's cool. I dig it lol.

[@frmcf]

Anyone else come here to find out about mafia hierarchies and leaving scared and disappointed, but entertained?

[@seandaniel23]

+Fraser McFadyen :)

[@carbonpictures]

Wouldn’t it have been great if our high school teachers taught like this....

[@Inspirethejourney]

“I’m kinda a douche” Love it

[@seandaniel23]

Callin it like it is.

[@thailandajarn]

I'm here looking for salty comments from trumpeters who play chords.

[@flexwinggpipi]

who ever plays capo10 bit like who throws a cupcake ...austin powers highest ive ever used mine is 8th fret covering "cats in the cradle" ...Harry chapin

[@seandaniel23]

+nick williams Haha, they're out there, I've seen it with my own eyes!

[@jayvandenburg4001]

all over the place

[@seandaniel23]

Like a good capo should be.

[@michaeldematteis3409]

I'm really confused. lol.have to watch a few more times.I'm a slow learner 😯

[@seandaniel23]

+Michael DeMatteis No worries Michael! It probably doesn't help that I talk at light speed.

[@michaeldematteis3409]

Sean Daniel yeah,slow down a little buddy.what's your hurry?lol.just kidding you da man sean.learned alot from you.that's what rewind is for.not really a big capo man anyway.I really love this theory shit.always want to know why a certain scale or chord works or what key I'm in etc.

[@CashDayYoung]

Hahaha. "Cause I'm kind of a douche"

[@seandaniel23]

+CashDayYoung ;)

[@hunterstomytrain]

Campos are not a crutch, there a tool that help people who have a hard time playing bar chords plus I guess the cranberries were crappy players because Doloris and Noel used them all the time. Dont discourage people from using them.

[@seandaniel23]

Did I discourage them?

[@patricaosborne7274]

capo kyser pink

[@remediesp2491]

U sound like pewdiepie you look like pewdiepie

[@mastermindstraw1640]

My capo is a pen and a rubber band

[@delbertgiovanni3679]

Need free capo

[@seandaniel23]

+Delbert Giovanni Maybe I'll have a capo contest!

[@rogerbarreto2846]

whoever hit that dislike button thought it was a download button !

[@rogerbarreto2846]

John Cavanaugh only possible explanation ;)

[@seandaniel23]

+RB FingerMagic Agreed.

[@tatuhutri2606]

i have the same G7th and now i feel like a douche

[@seandaniel23]

+Tatu Hutri Haha, I think you're good. For me it's actually a combination of a lot of things.

[@tatuhutri2606]

Sean Daniel i compared this one to 5 euro capos and those are just as good. they maybe break after few years though :D thanks for answer and keep on making informative videos!

[@jayvalentine2046]

wait !!! i have a thalia capo sooo does that mean im kind of a douche too lmao

[@seandaniel23]

+Jay Valentine Sorry Jay, but yes.

[@jayvalentine2046]

Sean Daniel #twining 😃 lol

[@thomasmoura]

You were pronouncing capoos wrong!

[@seandaniel23]

+thomas moura Haha, my bad :)

[@yoyeo1900]

Need a capo? No, you need lessons.

[@BobMarshallBand]

Capo? OR...you can just learn to play guitar. I know....kinda snobby of me.

[@thesonicexplorer75]

Bob Marshall yos