The Capo and Its Uses

The idea behind that capo is so simple , and so unassuming that all-most all beginners should have one. The usefullness of this small bit of accessory can save Experienced guitarists during a gig just as easily as saving a newbie time in learning a song that is proving difficult to get the right "sound" for. In case You have never seen a capo before or seen one but not know what it was and what it is for, I'll first show you a typical capo and give you a basic run-down on how to use one.
The typical capo will look like this, though there are variations on the standard theme.

Basically what a capo is , is a clamp that you can attach to the neck of your guitar. It can be un-clamped and moved up and down the fretboard, changing the key of all your open strings. This means if you need to change the key of the song you are playing you can do so without having to tune down or up, your instrument. Say for example you are playing for a singer who suddenly decides to change key in the middle of a performance. You can use a capo to stay in the key he/she might require, without having to change the chords you are used to. Also if you are trying to figure out a particular song and the key just doesn't seem to be matching up, slap on a capo at different positions on the neck until you get in range of the song. The capo also allows you to play a range of keys with only knowing a few chords. Say a bunch of musicians you are jamming with play in A minor and you only know first position chords? The capo to the rescue!

As you saw in the image above, a capo is nothing more than some plastic, a pad of rubber, and a metal spring for tension. There are however many different styles of capo out there. Some use thumbscrews, some are made from metal or another alloy. If you yourself find a capo useful-I know I do! Its probably best to spend a little for a good one, these are usually easier to remove and put back on and usually do the job better and last longer.

OK, once you get your hands on a capo it's probably best you figure out how to use it right? On most guitars a capo will work and have the instrument sound good when the long bar that lays over the strings is right up close to the fret on the headstock side of the fret. You never , ever want to put a capo right on top of the fret! This way (snug against the fret) keeps the string in place. If you move the capo too far in-between frets it can produce fret-buzz on the open strings.
If you were in tune before placing the capo, you most likely still will be but its best to check until you get better at using a capo. Typically though you should be able to slap one on and just go.

The normal capo can be used to do a few tricks too, say you want to be able to play an easy E major chord higher up on the neck, but want to leave that deep bass of the sixth string "E", take a capo and at the seventh fret clamp down on strings A thru high-E, now bar chord the D,G and B strings for an easy E major chord still with that low bass!
The capo once you understand it can be messed around with for lots of different chord positions and key tunings, move yours around and just play with it and I'm sure you will start to discover the possibilities!

Below are some examples of different style capo's

then there was this, that someone randomly had posted on the internet but still, if you're in a jam and REALLY need a capo....

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