How To Use a Guitar Capo and Why You Need One

Learn how to use a capo and why you need one to play and sing more songs on the guitar

check out the capo I use in this video and other accessories here:

To learn 3 more Classic Rock songs on acoustic guitar - Check out my free song lesson bundle complete with tabs:

00:00 Intro
00:34 What is a guitar capo
02:22 Play more songs with less chords
03:22 How to change the key of a song with a guitar capo
03:48 How to adjust the key of a song to your voice
05:52 The capo is not a crutch
08:23 How to move open chords up and down the neck

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[kennyg]

Kevin, I have seen multiple professional performers use “capos” Great video as always.🤙😀

[mariabooth]

Thanks for explaining the capo and how to use it. I’m a beginner and I’m looking for any tips to make my learning experience a good one. I just found your channel and subscribed. Looking forward to more of your videos.

[jussimatikainen]

Thanks. Really good info. I was wondering about the capo because I wanted to play Nirvana - Come as you are. While using a capo in second fret it is much easier to play. I was also wondering about the singing. I always thought that while using the capo you have to sing higher but that it not the case always. Thanks for clearing that up. If some song is so much easier to play with capo why not to use it.

+ I think that people take playing way too seriously. If you play a song 80 % have no idea are you playing right or wrong. The singing and the right rhytm is the key. Music is fun and should not be too serious :)

[DavidS]

Hello there please do a video of the song you were playing in the beginning. It sounds like suspious minds. I love your channel, I feel so relaxed watching your channel with these 67 year old fingers. I quit playing when I was about 21 to chase other things. I have repented since then, I started back about 3 years ago don't play like my younger days. Thanks David

[candidoalcantara]

HELLO GOD BLESS YOU KEVEN TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
PLEASE CAN YOU TELL ME THE CHORD THEY USED TO PLAY I SEE THE LORD? in the florida revival, please

[SteveAuger]

A buddy I used to jam with hated when I used a capo. He looked at that as being weak. I told him as long as I am the lead singer in this group, I will use a capo when needed. End of story!!!

[robfugate]

Nice Rhine Geist shirt Cincinnati Ohio

[diamondly]

as a beginner making the frets not line up with the dots with throw me off so much😅

[christopheranderson]

I don't like that camp that belittles using tools, any tools, or tricks or anything. If something sounds good, it does. What's the problem? To me, it's some sort of snobbery or something.

[jpofgwynedd]

...so why not try "You Are My Sunshine" on open tuning using the D and G chords? After all, that's what you were playing there with capo on fret 5... I'm a notorious capo user, and have grown to be horrified by the convention of saying, 'it's A followed by D, but the capo 5th fret, ' instead of saying either what the chords ARE or being more explicit regarding shapes.
I've seen many songs with chord sequences which make no sense to me until I bang the old capo on and get going...
Nice introduction to the thing though.
Another brilliant reason to use a capo is that you fill out the sound when playing another guitarist: just today, in fact, I was playing little song I'd simplified to A - D - E... my partner played those on open tuning, I had my capo on fret 2 using the shapes G - C - D...
ALSO! I've found that learning what the chords are, I've been able to work in several key changes in songs, by playing the A-D-E combo followed by a little bridging chord or two then swapping to the G-C-D combo, then back again - which works in open AND Capo'd tuning!

Brilliant things, capos.

[fretworkband]

A crutch?! Absurd! Just ask David Lindley who used a capo on his Turkish Saz when he played “Call It A Loan” with Jackson Browne live. And let’s not forget the Beatle’s “ Here Comes The Sun” by George Harrison. Try playing that without a capo!

[jimstone]

always thought a capo should be called a cageo....LOL

[wealldieatthehandsoflovedones]

Hey Sir, do you ever play slide guitar by chance?