How to Use a Guitar Capo For Beginners

A capo is an inexpensive yet very useful tool.  You clamp the capo onto the frets of the fingerboard of your guitar and it allows you to instantly change the pitch of your guitar strings to a higher pitch. How high you make the pitch of your guitar depends on the fret you clamp the capo on and each fret will take the pitch one half step higher.

This incredibly useful tool has a number of advantages.  If you are playing with a band and you want to match your guitar to another musician or singer, its as simple as clamping on your capo to the appropriate key.

Another advantage is with playing chords.  A chord that is difficult to play in an open position can be played in an easier way by using a capo. This is wonderful if you are a beginner and want to learn a song that has difficult chords.

So if you don’t already own a capo, I highly recommend that you head out to your local music store or go online and purchase this inexpensive and highly useful tool for the guitar, the capo.

There are several different kinds of capos available to the guitarist.  When I say different, I am referring to the way the capos are designed, as they all do the exact same thing.  I own a Kyser Quick-Change Capo.  For me, it is just easier to use , but it really is a personal preference.   I have provided a link below to where you can purchase one online if you don’t already own one:

Kyser Quick-Change Capo A perfect fit for the necks and fingerboards of acoustic 6-string guitars. A snap to park on the headstock and then reposition between frets using just one hand.

If you already own a capo and want to see a few demonstrations on how to use one, then you are in luck.  I gathered several videos below from YouTube, that will demonstrate visually how to use a capo on your guitar as well as explain the advantages and uses in more detail.

Using  a Guitar Capo Videos