How to use a capo

What a capo does

A capo (short for the Italian “capotasto”, head of the fingerboard) is a clamp that presses all the strings down at one fret. It acts as a new nut: the open strings now start higher, and every chord shape you play in front of it sounds higher by the same amount.

The point is not to avoid learning. A capo changes the key while keeping the ringing open-string sound of chords like G, C and D, which barre chords cannot fully reproduce. Professional players use one constantly, for example to match a singer’s range.

Putting a capo on properly

1. Place it close to the fret wire, on the headstock side, just as you would place a fingertip. In the middle of the fret space the strings buzz and go sharp.
2. Keep the bar parallel to the fret, not angled, so every string is pressed at the same point.
3. Use just enough pressure. Too much tension pulls the strings sharp. Adjustable capos let you set this; with spring capos, place them carefully rather than squeezing.
4. Pull each string gently back into line if the capo pushed it sideways, then check the tuning with a tuner with the capo on.
5. When you take the capo off, check the tuning again. The strings may have been stretched slightly.

Capo chart: what each shape becomes

Each fret is a semitone. Count up from the shape you are playing by the number of the capo fret to get the sounding chord. The table is computed by our theory engine for the most common shapes.

Shapes keep their relationships. If a piece uses G, C and D shapes, putting the capo on the 2nd fret turns them into A, D and E, still the I, IV and V chords of the new key. Every chord moves together, so the music sounds the same, only higher. Our guitar chord pages list capo options for each chord too.

Finding the capo fret for a key

1. Decide which open-chord key you want to play in. G, C, D, A and E are the friendliest, Am and Em for minor keys.
2. Count the semitones from that key up to the key you need. From G to B♭ is three semitones (G♯, A, B♭).
3. Put the capo at that fret and play the shapes of your chosen key. In the example: capo 3, play G-family shapes, and it sounds in B♭.

Keys with many flats, like E♭, A♭ and B♭, are common in horn-band and piano music and full of barre chords on guitar. A capo turns them into open-chord keys. The key pages show every chord in each key, and the circle of fifths explains why keys come in these families.

When to reach for a capo

• To suit a voice. Moving a song up a few semitones can put it right in a singer’s comfortable range.
• To avoid barre chords. A key such as B♭ becomes G shapes at capo 3.
• For a brighter sound. Higher capo positions give a sparkly, mandolin-like tone, nice when a second guitar plays the same chords in standard position.
• To play with others. When a piano or a horn plays in E♭, a capo lets you join in with open chords.

Kinds of capo

• Spring (trigger) capo: quick to move with one hand; the tension is fixed, which can be too strong on light strings.
• Screw or adjustable capo: set exactly the pressure you need; the most tuning-friendly.
• Classical-guitar capo: a flat pad for a flat fingerboard; steel-string capos are curved.
• Partial capo: covers only some strings, creating open-tuning sounds while you keep standard tuning. A specialist tool, worth trying once you are comfortable.

Capos on ukulele and other instruments

Ukulele capos work in exactly the same way: each fret raises the shapes by a semitone. Banjo, mandolin and bouzouki players use them too. On the piano you don’t need one; the virtual piano or any keyboard simply lets you start the same pattern on another key.

Frequently asked questions