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Capo Instructions

"Capo" is Italian for "head." Capos, also known as capo tastos or capodastros, are fastened across the frets of a stringed instrument in order to raise its pitch by shortening the playable length of the string. This allows a player to change the key of a song without having to use uncomfortable chord fingerings, or to better suit an accompanying singer's vocal range. A capo is usually used while playing a guitar, banjo or mandolin.

Things You'll Need

  • Capo
  • Guitar
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Instructions

    • 1

      Play a C chord on your guitar.

    • 2

      Clamp the capo on the desired fret, making sure it is straight and touches all the strings. For instance, if you want to play a C but hear a C#, attach the capo between the first and second fret as close to the second fret as possible without being on top of it.

    • 3

      Play a C chord with the capo still clamped. You should hear a C# chord.

    • 4

      Experiment with playing different chords and clamping the capo to different frets. Starting from the top of the guitar, each fret raises the key half a step. For instance, when you played a C chord with the capo on the first fret, the chord sounds like C#. When you play a C chord with the capo on the second fret, the chord sounds like D, and so on.

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