Using a capo

A capo is a cool little device that allows you to play a chord progression in different keys while retaining the same chord shape. It acts like a sort of artificial barre on the guitar strings, much like your finger does when playing a barre chord.

The capo fits around the guitar's neck and raises the pitch of all six guitar strings. The fret that it's placed in determines the amount by which it raises them. If you place the capo on the first fret, you will raise the open string by one semi-tone; put it on the 2nd and it will be raised by two semi-tones; and so on. What this translates to is that an open chord of C major played with a capo on the first fret becomes C# major, and the same shape with the capo on the 2nd becomes D major. Basically, the fingering remains the same, but the notes are different.

Let's say you wanted to sing a melody to go with a fingerpicking using the chord progression of Am-G-F-E but the key in which it is written is too low for your voice. You would feel more comfortable if it were raised a semi-tone to the key of Bb minor. A capo allows you to change the key and continue to be able to play pretty easy chords without having to re-tune your guitar. If you placed the capo on the first fret of the neck of your guitar, the same sequence would now be Bb-Ab-Gb-F. Since these four chords can only be played as barre forms, which (without a capo) would become much more difficult - especially during finger picking, the capo provides an easy solution. But, the finger positioning wouldn't change from the original key as it was in the key of A minor. This makes the fingering much easier.

How to fit a capo

The capo is clamped over the fingerboard of the guitar just behind the chosen fret so that it raises the pitch of any chord you play.

I found a cool video on You Tube by ivideosongs that demonstrates a little more about the use of a capo.



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Scales and Modes - A Brief Lesson in Theory

The earliest forms of scales have roots that go back to the ancient Greeks, named after their most important tribes - the Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, and Mixolydian. Each of them contained eight notes (from the root to the octave). These notes were the equivalent to the notes on the white keys of the piano keyboard, written in descending order.

The Dorian scale descended from E, the Phrygian from D, the Lydian from C, and the Mixolydian from B.

Musicians from the Christian Church adopted these scales in the Middle Ages. But for some reason, they decided to introduce various changes. First, they reversed the order, to make them ascending. Second, they changed the root notes. Third, they changed the term from "scale" to "mode." This made the formerly known Greek Dorian scale the Dorian Mode and made it from D to D, the Phrygian Mode went from E to E, Lydian Mode from F to F, and the Mixolydian Mode went from G to G. And the Greek Lydian scale, originally descending from C, now ascended from C and was renamed the Ionian Mode. Also, the Greek Mixolydian Scale, which descended from B, now ascended from B and was renamed the Locrian Mode. The scale that began on the A was called the Aeolian Mode.

This now meant that there were 7 modes - one for each of the white keys. We have already seen that the characteristic sound of any scale or series of notes is determined by its step-pattern of tone or semi-tone intervals. Since each mode has its own step-pattern, each mode has it's own sound.

In the Middle Ages, the modal system was the source of melody. By the 16th Century, the increasing complexities of "polyphony" (music which contains 2 or more harmonized melody lines) were leading to the breakdown of the modal system.

There was a new harmonic language being developed as the 17th Century began. The concept of "tonality" was expanded to include the key system (which is another lesson). All music had a "key signature" which identified the tonic (or first) note of the scale as the "key-center" or "home key." The intervals between notes were fixed by their distance from the tonic note or key center.

The heart of the key system was the concept of diatonic major and minor scales. A "diatonic" scale comprises the notes proper to the key. The diatonic major scale has the same pattern of tones and semi-tones as the medieval Ionian Mode (started on C), and the diatonic natural minor scale has the same pattern as the Aeolian Mode (which started on A). The resemblance, however, is one of structure, not usage.

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Understanding guitar Tablature

Tablature is a system of writing down music for the guitar. It is based on a six line grid that represent one of the six guitar string. The top line is the 1st (top E) string, and the bottom is the 6th (bottom E) string. The numbers on the lines are fret numbers. For example, a number 3 on the 2nd line from the top tells you to play D om the 3rd fret of the 2nd string. An O on the line indicates that you play the open 2nd string.

The system relies on you being able to hear the piece of music so that you are familiar with the rhythmic structure of the song and the timing of the notes. It is used in conjunction with memory.

It is basically a form of short hand that helps you determine where to put your fingers on the guitar string while you play along with the cd.

I found a pretty cool video on You Tube that helps demonstrate what I just discussed. I hope this helps you understand how to translate tablature to your guitar string and you will soon be learning your favorite songs in no time at all.

Good luck!




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