I was reading a thread on The Gear Page about David Grissom explaining how to play a couple of tunes where he was using a capo. As usual with subjects that are potentially controversial, this thread had lots of posts, and most were replies to those who thought the use of a capo as cheating.
I’ve always been intrigued by this issue. I’ve used a capo for years for both acoustic and electric without even thinking about it. But there have been a few people throughout the years whom I’ve run across who say using a capo is cheating. I have a one word reply to that: Bullshit!
Tell that to James Taylor, or Paul Simon, or Davey Johnstone or even Albert Collins. They’re cheating? Ha! Especially with JT, there are some things that you just can’t do very easily without a capo when playing his tunes.
I look at a capo as a tool to help me play more comfortably. For instance, my Friday night solo acoustic gigs are four hours long. My first set is always at least two hours, and I play a lot of songs that require a capo. While I could play barre chords for almost all the songs, my question is, “Why?” If I have a tool that will let me play chords in the first position, it’s easier on my left hand.
What’s easier to frequently fret for a Bb chord, a standard G-chord shape at Capo III, or using an E-chord shape with a barre chord on the sixth fret? You could argue that doing a barre chord is pretty easy, but try doing that for all the chords in a song on an acoustic guitar. Lots of pain.
Here’s a James Taylor cover I do called “Something in the Way She Moves:”
I play that song in Db, so I play an A chord-shape at Capo IV. The opening riff is an A chord-shape that slides up to an Asus4 (add 6). Without a capo, you can easily pluck the 2nd and 4th strings. But to play that chord accurately according to the original composition, you need to pluck the 1st and the 3rd strings as well, which are open with a capo. Unless you have some super-long fingers (which I don’t have), then playing this chord is virtually impossible if you’re barring on the 4th fret.
So in the case above, the capo simply greases the wheels. A couple of years ago, a dude came up to me at the restaurant and asked how I played that tune. I put my capo on my guitar, to which he said, “Oh… You use a ‘cheater.'” I knew he was joking, but that statement irritated me a bit, so I took off my guitar, held it out to him and said, “Okay, if it’s a cheater, I want you to show me how to play it without a capo. If you can, then not only will I play it your way from now on, I’ll give you all the money in my tip jar,” which had about $50 in it. He politely declined…
Guitar Gear 
Well said. I also ask guitarists that consider a capo “cheating” what they think of non-standard tunings; cheating or not? That should get them thinking.
Add Keith Richards to that list as well.
I have never understood the “capo is cheating” thing either. Most likely those who say that have never tried to sing and play at the same time.
As far as I’m concerned, there’s no such thing as cheating with the guitar. There is no “proper” way to play the guitar. Anything that helps you get the sound you want is fair game.
Excess string noise and hairband muting comes close for me 😛 (well maybe not for crazy double tappers)
Although I like a thought from somebody (cant remember who it was, think it may have been Guthrie Govan) who said its best to think of yourself as a musician who plays / uses the guitar rather than a “guitarist”. I.e. nothing matters as long as what you do produces some good music…
Jon, that’s one of the best things I’ve heard – a musician who plays/uses a guitar to make music.
yeah same here, definitely made me take a step back and change my perspective / approach.
You’re right, Dawg; it’s horsefeathers! Nice rendition of the Taylor tune.
Thanks, everyone for your input. And thanks guitarboy for the compliment! 🙂 I actually recorded that straight with vocals and guitar at the same time. Normally do the guitar first then overdub, but I needed a demo quick. 🙂
And as Keith said above, those who say that using a capo is cheating probably have never tried to sing and play at the same time, which is a great point because without one, you’d be jumping all over the fretboard to get the right voicings. I’d venture that the singing would suffer horrendously. 🙂
Using a capo is definitely cheating, no matter how you cut it. KIDDING! Capos are very useful tools for several things including changing keys, adding openness to the sound (benefit of hearing open strings), as well as easing fingering and positioning of chords. Anyone who says using a capo is cheating is clearly clueless. 🙂 My $0.02.
[…] Is Using a Capo Cheating? « Guitar Gear Although I like a thought from somebody (cant remember who it was, think it may have been Guthrie Govan) who said its best to think of yourself as a musician who plays / uses the guitar rather than a “guitarist” […]
My band plays with our guitars tuned down a half step (because I sing all night and songs that are high are made easier with a little down-tuning…) and find that I tune my non-rock band guitars that way, too out of habit. I lead the praise team at my church, which means that I need to play in standard tuning… I use Capo 1 to do that without a constant back-and-forth of retuning…
I indicate capo notes on my chord sheets like this: (Capo 3 Jon – Capo 2 Reg) so that the rest of the band doesn’t get confused…
I’ve also been known to (out of laziness and desire to not constantly sound the same) capo 11 to play a song in the key I have chords for… With a piano, acoustic guitar, bass and drums on stage, the extra jangly-chimey higher notes can really add some great texture. It’s just a little hard to play some chords up that high…
There is another reason to use a capo: Chord voicing. The order of the notes in a chord does have an effect. And the way chord tones move through a progression has an effect. A capo gives you access to a bigger variety of voicing in many keys. If you’re just playing E-form and A-form barre chords, your playing will sound a lot flatter than someone who uses a capo well.
And hey it doesnt hurt when people like me (aka beginers) have abnormaly small hands and cant produce big barre chords. i see no cheating around the air when i sit down by a camp fire and play a couple tunes with my buddies, and every one is laughing and having some fun…. And why should there be a “cheating” to it? it people are doin’ what they do and having fun about it, then what’s the big deal?
In the context I’ve heard it said, only uninformed players would think a capo is cheating. I’ve been told it’s a crutch for the barre chord. Not so, It’s a tool for transposition and nothing more.
I’m all for experimentation, but I kind of like learning/playing songs without a capo, as I desire the freedom to move further down the fret without the time lag of removing it. If you’re playing a long set, then slap that baby on!
not to mention Glen Campbell … before his solo career fame, ‘the witchita lineman’ was shown a capo by his father and suddenly he could play in many different keys with the same chord shapes etc … and he was one of the top studio session guys using that capo … so no it’s not cheating … it’s taking advantage of a simple accessory … something like playing in open tunings 🙂
It can be called cheating to use a capo rather than learn how to play more than the standard beginners first position chords-and many singers do exactly that to accompany themselves. But let’s just call it lazy, lacking musical dedication. There are perfectly valid artistic reasons to use a capo- esp to be able to get the ringing sounds of open strings in other keys. But I think using a capo to avoid playing bar chords is lazy- not because there’s anything wrong with avoiding strain in the left hand,but because at an intermediate skill level, first position strains the left hand the most. If your hand is getting too tired from playing bar chords, you’re pressing to hard,and for to long, let the strings up between accented beats,by releasing all tension in the fretting hand. But better yet, learn how to play other chord forms,make things more interesting. itls not necessary to play 6 note chords all the way through all teh time- in fact it gets tiring to the ear
“There are perfectly valid artistic reasons to use a capo- esp to be able to get the ringing sounds of open strings in other keys.”
You are SO right on there…
“But better yet, learn how to play other chord forms,make things more interesting. itls not necessary to play 6 note chords all the way through all teh time- in fact it gets tiring to the ear”
Again… right on…
It’s possible to play in all 12 keys in every position, ,it’s not that hard to learn.
REALLY?!!! Wow! I didn’t know that!!! Thanks for your enlightening feedback! I’m so blessed to have someone point this out!