Originally Posted By: Guitarhacker
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The proper use of a capo for me is to change the sound of the guitar. There is a difference between the sound of an open chord and a totally fretted chord and a chord played in either of those positions with a capo on the neck. It is to get that unique coloration that I use a capo. It tends to raise the timbre of the instrument which is desirable under certain circumstances.


I agree with that 200% and add for me it is the only use of the capo. (I don't mean to imply that my way is the only correct way to do anything - YMMV).

One nice thing about the guitar is that if you are not playing open string chords (cowboy chords as my guitar teacher friend calls them) it's really easy to play in any key. Much easier than it is on the saxophone or piano where the fingering in each key is entirely different. When I picked up guitar and first learned barre chords transposing was so ridiculously easy that I couldn't help giggling every time a song changed key. Wow! The fingering is the same, only on a different fret.

On the sax and piano, to play all the major scales require 12 completely different fingerings. Same for natural minor, harmonic minor, melodic minor, major pentatonic, minor pentatonic, and all the modes. On the guitar, learn 5 different fingerings for each position on the neck and you have them all. A major fingers just like Bb major, B major, C major and so on.

I learned to play the sax (my primary instrument) in all keys, however it is still easier for me to play in some keys than others. Probably because I play them more often.

Unlike "big band" saxophonists from the swing era, I prefer the sharp keys. Probably because I grew up in guitar-based rock bands and in my youth the guitarists tended to like E and A (F# and B on the tenor sax). So for me the fingers just flow easier in the sharp keys.

Many of the swing standards are written in Ab, Eb and Bb which are comfortable keys on the piano and also allow the brass and woodwinds to play with fewer flats or sharps on the key signature.

When I was in school band, the dreaded key for the winds was F#. For the tenor sax that's E on the guitar and piano. I happen to really like F# a lot (E concert), and also find that it fits the range of the sax quite well.

Not that I can't play in the flat keys. It's just my fingers are more comfortable with the sharp keys.

But I'm weird wink

Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
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