Capo?

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Good afternoon!

I came across some sheet music that recommends using a capo on the second fret. Now I have a capo for my guitar--can I use the same one for my uke or do they have uke specific capos? Thanks for answering my question!

Kim
~Luna Soprano Honu
~Luna Concert Maluhia (1 day old)
 
Yes and yes. Depending on the style of capo, you *can* use a guitar capo in a pinch, but you're better off getting a capo made specifically for a uke.

- FiL
 
Thank you! And oh no! I missed your NJ Uke Fest. Is there a way to be notified of the next one? I'm in Monmouth County, NJ :)
 
I keep my tenors tuned to dGBE/eAC#F# and find the Capo handy to shift tuning to C6 when I want to hear a tune in a different key. A lot of Johnny Cash's music call for a capo on 2 and I play a lot of his stuff.
 
At one time I used my guitar Shubb capo on my uke.
Now I have a Daddario uke capo.

I have a soprano uke tuned in C6 and a sopranino tuned in D6
and I play the songs or tunes that require a capo on the second fret on the latter.
 
I of course bought a capo when I got my ukulele because...well, who doesn't want all the accessories? However, I can't really play with it. It gets in the way. For example if I capo my baritone at the fifth fret and then do something like a simple C-F-G progression, the capo makes it awkward for both of the latter chords. How do you folks deal with this? Do you just get used to it?
 
Hi ripock!

I of course bought a capo when I got my ukulele because...well, who doesn't want all the accessories? However, I can't really play with it. It gets in the way. For example if I capo my baritone at the fifth fret and then do something like a simple C-F-G progression, the capo makes it awkward for both of the latter chords. How do you folks deal with this? Do you just get used to it?

Your fingers may face to wrong direction. The nails should face to your face.

 
I tried using the old capo that my wife had for her old guitar. It was way too big. Now I have a capo that is specific for the ukulele, but I have not figured out what good it is. I know what it does, but it is easier for me to just play the chords in the different keys. It seems to me to be a crutch. That's my feeling about it.
 
Some capos get more in the way than others. Check out the Planet Waves NS series ukulele capo.

- FiL
 
I tried using the old capo that my wife had for her old guitar. It was way too big. Now I have a capo that is specific for the ukulele, but I have not figured out what good it is. I know what it does, but it is easier for me to just play the chords in the different keys. It seems to me to be a crutch. That's my feeling about it.

I have trouble transposing on the fly, so a capo is very helpful to me.

- FiL
 
I used to use my guitar capo but then purchased a ukulele capo cause it was smaller and looked cuter on my instrument. But then I started playing baritone ukulele and went back to using my guitar capo again cause the ukulele capo wasn't adequate lol
 
For me at least in general the capo gets in the way. I tried just because reading this thread my Shubb C1 capo for steel string guitar to concert size ukulele.

It works for the purpose of clamping the strings well. While it is rather compact and even "low profile", it is made of metal and so adds to neck weight considerably. I could use it when the chords played are easy regarding the nut position.

They seldom are.
We use the left hand also to support the ukulele and the fret spacing and neck width is tight for our fingers to fit in. So because of all these 3 factors we tend to optimize our hand hold for each chord. This capo and I think other capos too gets in a way both under the neck and above the neck (plus on the sides).

So in general I don't recommend capo, but instead to learn the chords used in many keys so you don't have to rely on capo. It is possible and not as tiring than with an acoustic/classical guitar to play non open string chord tunes. For guitar a capo is an important tool, but in some few cases it could be also useful with ukulele.
 
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So in general I don't recommend capo, but instead to learn the chords used in many keys so you don't have to rely on capo. It is possible and not as tiring than with an acoustic/classical guitar to play non open string chord tunes. For guitar a capo is an important tool, but in some few cases it could be also useful with ukulele.
When it comes to playing in different keys, I just don't understand that argument in regards to the capo. So when we talk about keys and capos, are we saying that we can play a C-Am-F-G, but we can't play a G-Em-C-D, so we need to capo it because we can't play a chord progression in anything other than C, and so on? I kind of understand the argument with the guitar, but with the ukulele it seems that we are limited in how far up the neck one can go without running out of room and getting into that falsetto range. Not to mention that you get up there very far, you are stuck with first position chords, because there isn't a lot of room left to get creative with the chords. Maybe I just don't know how to use a capo, but that is where I find myself when I do try to use one.
 
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When it comes to playing in different keys, I just don't understand that argument in regards to the capo. So when we talk about keys and capos, are we saying that we can play a C-Am-F-G, but we can't play a G-Em-C-D, so we need to capo it because we can't play a chord progression in anything other than C, and so on? I kind of understand the argument with the guitar, but with the ukulele it seems that we are limited in how far up the neck one can go without running out of room and getting into that falsetto range. Not to mention that you get up there very far, you are stuck with first position chords, because there isn't a lot of room left to get creative with the chords. Maybe I just don't know how to use a capo, but that is where I find myself when I do try to use one.

Here's where a capo comes in handy: If you're playing from a chart, but the singer decides the key needs to be higher, and there are too many chords for your brain to transpose on the fly.

I can't transpose C C9/Bb Fmaj7/A C9/Bb F Bbmaj7 Bbmaj9 up three half-steps on the fly. But with a capo, I can. But if you're never in that kind of situation, or your brain works faster than mine, then maybe you don't need one. :)

Also, some licks work better with certain chord shapes.

- FiL
 
Here's where a capo comes in handy: If you're playing from a chart, but the singer decides the key needs to be higher, and there are too many chords for your brain to transpose on the fly.

I can't transpose C C9/Bb Fmaj7/A C9/Bb F Bbmaj7 Bbmaj9 up three half-steps on the fly. But with a capo, I can. But if you're never in that kind of situation, or your brain works faster than mine, then maybe you don't need one. :)

Also, some licks work better with certain chord shapes.

- FiL

I'm quite sure that my mind doesn't work faster than yours. I guess that I've yet to run into that particular situation. But I do have a capo, and it lives in my case, so if I do run into such a predicament I will know what to do.
 
What I think of a capo is from guitar, but I'm sure it applies also to uke.

1. It allows to play in any key using mostly just so called open chords.
2. It makes easier transposing a song to a higher but also to a lower key using chords that are written in the musical sheet and using just those fingerings, that is not transposing mentally.

1 & 2 for a lower key takes some learning, which I don't have for ukulele, but it is certainly possible.

For ukulele you will of course have to make some unergonomical changes how you play the chords regarding the nut area, so in general for a long term play it is maybe not so good. For temporary songs perfect.

1 & 2 for lowering the song key takes some learning. In guitar I used mainly capo in 3rd fret to play in those so called b-keys that are difficult for guitar. Learning what open and other chord names are in that position, I could then also play in many keys a minor 3rd below what is written in musical sheet chord notation without the capo. That same learning process would go for other capo positions.

So a capo is a most versatile tool and certainly not a crutch.

To answer Rllink's comment to my post, I would seldom use a capo above 5th fret. Mainly in just frets 1, 2 or 3.
By able to play without capo in many keys other than just that C/Am, you are able to transpose a song with capo to another key without the need to go up the neck much.
 
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When it comes to playing in different keys, I just don't understand that argument in regards to the capo. So when we talk about keys and capos, are we saying that we can play a C-Am-F-G, but we can't play a G-Em-C-D, so we need to capo it because we can't play a chord progression in anything other than C, and so on? I kind of understand the argument with the guitar, but with the ukulele it seems that we are limited in how far up the neck one can go without running out of room and getting into that falsetto range. Not to mention that you get up there very far, you are stuck with first position chords, because there isn't a lot of room left to get creative with the chords. Maybe I just don't know how to use a capo, but that is where I find myself when I do try to use one.

The main use of a capo is not for strumming chords, but for achieving certain voicings in certain keys. I haven't used a capo on the uke, but if I found a situation where it made a song or tune sound better, I wouldn't hesitate.
I do use a capo on guitar and banjo. I can play the chords necessary to play a bluegrass tune in Eb, but to make it sound like bluegrass, I need certain runs and licks that don't sound right unless there are open strings, so I'd play either D shapes with the capo at one or C shapes with the capo at three in order to get the required voicings. This applies not only to bluegrass, but to many styles. Swing music, on the other hand, doesn't sound right with open chords. (In my opinion)
If it sounds good, it is good.
 
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