If you play the guitar or another stringed-instrument like a ukulele, mandolin or banjo, then being able to shift the key up by a few frets to experiment with open chords higher up the neck will only boost the playing fun. Luckily, there's already a tool designed specifically for the job: the capo. The capo (short for capodastro) simply clamps across the strings to create a barre and raise the pitch of every string, all at once.
Find the Perfect Guitar or Ukulele Capo
Here you can find a complete and varied range of different guitar capos, whether they're designed for electric or acoustic guitars, for classical guitars, or even 12-string guitars. We even have exclusive capos for 7-string and resonator guitars. Besides guitars, we have plenty of capos designed for other stringed instruments, so you'll be able to find a capo to fit the narrower necks of bluegrass and folk instruments like banjos, mandolins and ukuleles.
Frequently Asked Questions About Capos
What does 'capo' mean?
Capo is short for capodestro, which is Italian for nut, referring to the little block that sits under the strings at the very end of the fretboard and just before the headstock. Since you clamp a capo across the strings at any fret along the neck, you're kind of 'moving the nut' to anywhere you want to shorten the strings and raise the pitch.
What's a guitar capo?
A capo can be used to raise the pitch of all the strings of a guitar at once, so it acts as a kind of barre without having to play a barre chord, which can be tough chords to learn for beginner guitarists. More experienced guitarists use capos to play in a different key and to experiment with the sound of open chords.
What's the best capo?
The most well known, and perhaps the most easy to use capo, is the trigger capo, which is literally a clip that can be placed anywhere on the neck with one hand. There are also capos secured via a screw bolt, which offer guitarists more control over the tension that's place across the strings. It's worth noting the price when picking our your capo, since more expensive capos are less likely to mess with the tuning of your strings and will have a longer lifespan.
Which capo should I get?
Pick out a capo that's definitely compatible with your instrument. So, if you have a classical guitar, make sure you're looking at capos designed for classical guitars. The same goes for electric or acoustic guitars, ukuleles, banjos, and mandolins. If you're a beginner, a trigger-style capo will be the easiest to use, since you can just clip it onto the neck with just one hand.
Which capo for which guitar?
Capos designed for electric and acoustic guitars have a lightly bowed shape to match the rounded fretboard of electric and acoustic models. Since the fretboard of a classical guitar is flat, capos designed for classical guitars have a flat shape to match.
Can I use a guitar capo on a bass guitar?
Yes, but it's not something you see very often. While you might want to play a certain track in a different key, you're likely to miss one or two of those open strings. Also, since bass strings are so thick, you'd need a capo that's big enough and strong enough to handle them.
How do you use capo?
Trigger-style capos work a lot like clothes pegs, and just clip onto the neck to create a barre across the strings. If you have a capo with adjustable tension, make sure not to make it too tight or too loose so that the tuning stays pure and your sound doesn't suffer from string buzz.
What kind of music do you play with a capo?
The capo is used to play open chords in a higher key without having to barre the strings with a finger, and since it's such a useful tool, it's actually used to play any kind of music.
