How to Make a Capo for a Guitar
Introduction
Imagine you’re about to play a song that’s been on your mind, but as soon as you switch on the tutorial for it, you see the YouTuber pull out a capo. There goes any hope of playing that song right? Well, sometimes, you can bypass the need for a capo by playing barre chords, but some songs just don’t do without one! If you find yourself facing this situation often, you’ve come to the perfect place. In this article, you will learn how to make a capo for a guitar! Get ready to widen your guitar playing horizons!
What is a Capo?
A capo is a device used by guitarists to change the key of their guitar or make its pitch higher.
In a nutshell, a capo is a clamp. You put it on the neck of your guitar where it clamps down on a fret and presses down on all the strings, thereby changing the number of playable frets and making the pitch of your guitar higher.
Capos come in a variety of form factors, from screw-type setups to trigger ones, but they all have the same function. To serve as moveable “nuts” of the guitar and change its pitch.
Why do I need a Capo?
Capos are a blessing for beginner players who can’t quite get barre chords correct. Trust us, and we know how annoying barre chords can be. Capos eliminate the requirement for you to use your finger to barre the chords by doing it themselves. Additionally, chords played using a capo sound miles clearer and resonate much better than when played by barring a fret with your finger.
Apart from this, there are a lot of songs that have been specifically written with a capo in mind, and playing them without one is virtually impossible.
Capos allow you to play regular open chords higher up the scale than what your guitar would let you play normally. This enables a whole new sound with each fret that you can explore and have fun with!
With the help of a capo, you can play more songs with the chords you already know! The increase in pitch provided by the capo will remove the need for complicated chords and will let you play more with less!
What are the alternatives to using a Capo?
As mentioned earlier, the primary alternative to using a capo is pressing your index finger along the fret. This is a technique that all guitarists must learn one day if they truly want to master the guitar. That being said, learning how to play barre chords is a huge pain on the fretboard. For beginner guitarists, a capo is a lifesaver. If you can’t buy one, it’s always a good idea to learn how go make a capo for a guitar!
How to Make a Capo for a Guitar
An alternative to buying a capo would be to make one for yourself! While this may sound hard, it’s actually pretty easy and can get you used to play with a capo without actually buying one!
We will be showcasing the easiest and most popular way to make a capo at home, using two common household materials!
What you need:
- Pen or Pencil
- Thick Rubber Bands
The Procedure
- First, select which fret you want to clamp down your homemade capo on. If you’re doing this for a specific song, then you can find where to put the capo in the song’s tutorial or notes.
- After you’ve decided on the fret, take the pencil and put it across the fret.
- Next, fold a rubber band in half and make it stronger.
- Hold the pencil in place and add the folded rubber band to one side of the pencil, bring it back to the other side of the pencil and loop it over.
- You’ll find that the pencil is now firmly pressed against the fret. To further strengthen this, add another rubber band in the same manner as before.
- The pencil should now be pressing down on all the strings with equal pressure, and you should hear each string clearly when strumming. You can now start playing your song!
Final Thoughts
All in all, making a capo is a pretty easy job, and making one can allow you to do new wonders on your guitar!
