[Nem]

i know of quite a few songs which require some big stretches which, although I can play, are quite difficult

using a capo to make the key higher, therefore reducing the distance between frets as you move up the neck, this would make those chords easier as you have to stretch less. so in this situation, would you consider using a capo cheating?

[namiguShin]

I would say it's not cheating... The question is would you be able to sing that song with raised pitch...

[Lcjones]

Absolutely not. Use the capo to your advantage.

[JWing]

I'm finding that I can use a capo to learn a song on the upper frets. When I get pretty good at the song, I move the fret down one fret, practice there until I'm pretty good again, then move the capo down another fret. Works for me.

[Justapicker]

It's a tool. If it's used to avoid learning to play in the higher positions then it's cheating.

[Bob Wolford]

when I was 10 ( a half of century ago) my father handed me this spring thing with cork on one side and said it was a "cheater". Not for a couple more years did I ever hear the term "capo".

[hb]

I too, have found that a capo makes my music sound better and have found myself playing with a capo most of the time. The trouble is that when I take if off, it's much more difficult to get those fingers into position. I have to force myself to play with it off to continue strenghtening my hand. I'm afraid that if I continue playing with one, I will have lost what "touch" I have without one. But it's hard to play a song one way, when you know it will be easier and sound better another way!
hb

[Teddy Madison]

No such thing as cheating in music. I have heard some "songs" put out on the radio and they are samples of some 70' tune with a rythm beat layed over the top. Simple? Yes. Creativity? Yes.

Do what works for you, if others like it, great. If they don't, well... your just ahead of your time.

Here's another example of "Cheating" that I do: There are finger style tunes that require you to play all the strings at once except for A, Well, I'm not that good yet at plucking that many at once (I do practice though), so what I do is lay the finger that is fretting the low E over to mute the A, and strum it. Works for me but technically is cheating.

Wayne

[Lcjones]

"I'm afraid that if I continue playing with one, I will have lost what "touch" I have without one"

you won't lose a thing. if anything you will gain the usefulness of the capo.

It's like when I switch guitars. I go from a super slim neck on the Ric to a wider neck on the Guild acoustic and then over to the Strat..... It's just a momentary thing as my hand catchs up with my brain and says, oh, ok "Now it's the strat".

Same thing with a capo... just a momentary adjustment as your hands catch up with your brain ...

**

[hb]

Originally Posted by lcjones

"I'm afraid that if I continue playing with one, I will have lost what "touch" I have without one"

you won't lose a thing. if anything you will gain the usefulness of the capo.

It's like when I switch guitars. I go from a super slim neck on the Ric to a wider neck on the Guild acoustic and then over to the Strat..... It's just a momentary thing as my hand catchs up with my brain and says, oh, ok "Now it's the strat".

Same thing with a capo... just a momentary adjustment as your hands catch up with your brain ...

**

I hope you're right, but I know, at least for me, that it's harder to make those chords sound clear without one, so I want to take the easy way out.
hb

[vee]

"The question is would you be able to sing that song with raised pitch..."

Here's a thought, if the pitch of the song is not in your vocal range as a result of the presence of the capo, try lowering the guitar tuning to accomodate the placement of the capo. For example, if the capo is to be placed on the second fret of the guitar which raises the notes by two half steps, lower all strings by two half-steps. This way, it should balance off and should sound as if the capo is absent. At least I think it should.

Also, I don't think using the capo is cheating. I find the capo to be a blessing. It allows me to play chords in the first position in higher octaves, while allowing the playing of open and fretted notes (this contrast in sound is always good). This sound is not always easily achieved while playing Barre chords. I guess that anything that assists in making music playable, while sounding good is not cheating.

[cshude]

I mainly use my capo to achieve a particular sound- There are songs that simply sound better a step or two higher (Somewhere Over the Rainbow is one. I play Kirk's lesson version in G with the capo on the 3rd fret, bringing what you hear up to Bb). For some songs, it just sounds so much better.

[garydavis]

Cheating? what? i dont really think you can "cheat" on a musical instrument as long as your playing it... A capo is great, its like having two hands, one doing a 6 string bar chord and the other doing what ever. I think it was a great idea, who ever thought of it...

[namiguShin]

Originally Posted by Justapicker

It's a tool. If it's used to avoid learning to play in the higher positions then it's cheating.

So true!

[namiguShin]

Originally Posted by vee

"The question is would you be able to sing that song with raised pitch..."

Here's a thought, if the pitch of the song is not in your vocal range as a result of the presence of the capo, try lowering the guitar tuning to accomodate the placement of the capo. For example, if the capo is to be placed on the second fret of the guitar which raises the notes by two half steps, lower all strings by two half-steps. This way, it should balance off and should sound as if the capo is absent. At least I think it should.

I'm not sure what would be the benefit of all that trouble, if you play in the same pitch again, then why using capo at all? The only advantage of this procedure would be to make stretches easier... Am I right, or you have someting else in mind? Plus, strings are made for the specific pitch range... You cannot just tune them to any tone you like... I think plus/minus 2 frets is maximum (e.g. e string from d to f#)... Does anybody have an answer on this pitch range?