So, what is a capo? A capo is simply a clamp that can be used on different frets of the guitar in order to change the pitch of the open strings. Each fret on a guitar is a half step and therefore if you place the capo on the first fret then all of the open strings will sound a half step higher than normal. This is a great tool for a guitarist because it makes changing the key of a song very easy.

For example, if you have a song that is written in the key of G with the chords G, C, and D, you could easily change the key of the song to A without even having to relearn it. All you would have to do is just simply put a capo on the second fret and play the same chord shapes of G, C, and D that you would have before.These chords will sound a whole step higher which would make them actually the chords A, D, and E.

One way of learning about the capo when you learn how to play the guitar is to understand 2 basic ideas. Chord shape, and chord sound. No matter what fret the capo is placed on, when you play a G chord shape, in your mind it is always thought of as a G chord. However, when placing the capo on the 2nd fret and playing the G chord shape, the actual chord sounds as an A chord. This is the basic concept behind using a capo. You can use familiar or easy chord shapes in order to get the actual sound or chord sound of less familiar and possibly more difficult to play chords. This will also make some chords sound clearer and more open sounding. For instance, if you have a Bb in a song, you can place the capo at the 1st fret and play an A chord shape but you would actually be getting the Bb chord sound.

There are many different types of guitar capo's all varying in how they used.Some capo's are made to only transpose some of the strings while allowing the remaining strings to still play openly. Other capo's cover the entire width of the fretboard and change the sound of all of the strings.This would be the more common type of capo. The capo I use looks a lot like the one shown in the picture on this page. You can usually find them at your local music store for about $20 and they are secured to the guitar simply by squeezing the handles at the back and placing it on the guitar. This makes it very quick to move the capo if you are performing and are between songs. Go grab one at your local music store and try it out but don't forget to still learn those unfamiliar or difficult chords as well because the convenience of a capo may not always be there.