Capo for radiused fretboard

[mcashion]

I am using a capo just for playing hymns, etc. once in a while in some of the Bb, Ab, etc. keys. Question: is there a capo for a radiused fretboard or do you just tighten it down as far as you can? The E and G string don't seem as clear as the D and A, and I think it might be the curve of the fretboard vs the flat Paige capo. Yes, I know a capo is a crutch, but I don't play these keys a lot and I would rather spend my limited time working on keys that I play most of the time.

[John Flynn]

Here is a whole article I wrote on the subject. I hope you find it helpful.

[mad dawg]

Elderly has this (http://www.elderly.com/accessories/items/TMC-BLACK.htm) mandolin capo for radiused fretboards.

[Rroyd]

I'm guessing they hymns you are playing are relatively slow, and would provide you with a great opportunity to learn your way around the fingerboard a little better by playing slow tunes in those keys. As you learn to play in closed positions, (all notes fretted) you will be able to play in any key, and your playing will no longer be limited to keys using open strings. Give it a try; you will be pleased with the end results.

[John Flynn]

I'm guessing they hymns you are playing are relatively slow
You would guess that based on what? I am sorry to have to say it, but I find your post condescending to church music on two points. First, I have played church music for about 25 years and I have observed that we have about the same mix of fast and slow tunes as any other genre. Second, the use of a capo in church music is not always a result of players "not knowing thier way around the fretboard." It is a result of some of the realities of church music. I can play in any key without a capo, as can my chior leader, who is a professional guitarist. We both choose to use capos in church music, because there is a lot more pulling on our attention during a church service than looking at our fretboards. We have to pay attention to everything going on in the service, the congregation and the chior. Anything that keeps our workload down and increases our attention span is a good thing. For us a capo is tool, not a crutch. It's interesting that no one questions the use of a capo on a guitar or a banjo, but there is this predjudice against it on the mando. The assumption is that a mando player who uses one is deficient. But that's all it is: A prejudice.

[mandoJeremy]

I agree with Rroyd, I have never used a capo and I had students that would bring their mandos in with one on and the first the thing I told them was to take it off and not put back on there ever. I have learned a lot of jazz tunes and you better know how to play in flat keys. Not so much for bluegrass except for Bb but it is so much better to just learn the fretboard and be comfortable in any key. I will even play in A or G a lot of times with closed notes just to keep myself in practice.

[mandoJeremy]

And for the record Johnny, I do play in a professional praise and worship team and I didn't take his post as condescending at all. #If you are talking about "hymns" then most of them are slow. #If you are talking bluegrass gospel, then no they aren't are slow. #If you are talking about contemporary praise and worship (which is what I play) it is a mix of speeds but coming from a bluegrass background it all seems slow to me. #It's just different and more complex rhythms but the timing signature is still the same. #Imagine a song being in 4/4 timing but you're really only playing a downstroke beat or "chop" on the 2 and the 4. #You still think many notes if you come from bluegrass but you realize it doesn't take all of those and believe me I used to be very "notey" but I learned as I matured musically to just use the ones that were needed. #I used to love to play almost a full bluegrass break in triplets but that just didn't cut it when it came to taste.

[John Flynn]

I have never used a capo and I had students that would bring their mandos in with one on and the first the thing I told them was to take it off and not put back on there ever
Well, that is your choice and the choice of your students if they chose to listen to you. I respect that. There are a lot of other gadgets people use on mandos, (like Tone-gards), that I would never use myself or recommend the use of. I think it is great for people share opinions like that here. But I don't think we should get in the business of insinuating that because someone uses any device they are a deficient musician who doesn't know how to play thier instrument. That was my main point.

[Rroyd]

My comments came from mcashion's statement about "the capo is a crutch," which made me feel that she was player who would benefit from pushing herself a bit. She stated that she was playing hymns with the capo; our hymns never make it past a moderate tempo, hence, my comments. However, I must admit that your services sound a whole lot more musically interesting than ours.

[John Flynn]

I must admit that your services sound a whole lot more musically interesting than ours.
Well, some of it is interesting, but most of it is more "frustrating." We are directed to play a lot of stuff that was written for pipe organ and platoons of singers and it is not really a good fit with a fretted string band. Some of it is in keys like Ab, Eb, ect., it is sometimes in time signatures like 5/8 and it may have as many as 12 different chords in it including diminished, thirteenth, and minor seventh flat fifth. Some of the chord changes are on eight note intervals. Sometimes I do not see the tune list or the sheet music until an hour before we play. Even so, I do not use a capo on 90% of the pieces. But when I need one, I need one and I use it, without feeling self-conscious. BTW, our chior director is ABD on his PhD in music with guitar as his main instrument. He makes a living playing and teaching music. He uses a capo at church also, for the same reasons I do.

In my statement, I was thinking more of what mcashion said about prefering to spend time working on the keys that she usually plays in. While we should all work to continually learn the fretboard better, we all have to make our own choices in our musical development. Casting aside her capo with not help her play those hymns better this Sunday, or the next or the next and it will not give her more time to work on those more common keys. That is her choice and I respect it.

[Hoyt]

I like the Victor Capo -- distributed by Dunlop. It comes in a curved model and the flat model is made so that it can be bent a bit if necessary. I use the banjo model. The brass/bronze ages very well, looking quite antique.

I love the sound of my mandola, octave and mandolin with a capo.

I think, Marie used the term "crutch" because every time someone mentions a capo on this site the purists go wild.

I suggest people learn how to play with a capo so that they can explore the use of droning strings and the new sounds awaiting discovery. Anything to avoid the drudgery of “practicing” is worth considering in my opinion.

See The Sterner Capo Museum at: http://w1.865.telia.com/~u86505074/capomuseum/index.htm

Good Luck -- Capo Man.

[earthsave]

Just buy one of those fiddle capos they should work on a radiused mando too.:p

[JGWoods]

I like the Shubb Deluxe as seen at Elderly Instruments (http://www.elderly.com/accessories/items/S5R.htm)
I use it on a banjo with a radiused fingerboard, and checked it out on my Rigel mandolin, also with radiused fingerboard, and it works fine.
best
gw

[WireBoy]

Gee this topic has touched a chord (ba dum tshhhh)

I, too, use the Shubb S5R on my radius fretboard.

Shubb S5R (http://www.shubb.com/S5.html)

I agree with jflynnstl. #The capo is a really useful tool when playing contemporary church music. #That's what i play and i use a capo when need be. #We work out of the Gather hymnal by Oregon Catholic Press. #Everything he said about his weekly choir experience is my experience too. (sounds like we both go to the same church!)

I like to mix up my attack; i'll pick and strum. and when i strum i like to make it easy on myself. #some chord shapes are just easier to manage to play clean and if a capo helps me into an easy grouping of chord shapes, on it goes.

#when i'm playing at church I try for as a clean and as flawless a sound as i can so that my music will help enhance the worship experience. #Buzzy and muted chords don't help that. #I don't want to have to struggle with uncomfortable finger reaches and trying to remember odd little used chord shapes. #keep my left hand simple so i can concentrate on getting the tone out with the right hand.

I'll agree the capo may not be appropriate some musical performance styles. #But it an excellent tool to augment your musical performance.

Elderly does have those capos. I love elderly its great!

[Mando Medic]

I have or do own about one of every kind of capo manufactured in the US. Not a big deal really but I have helped many mandolin and fiddlers find capos for their instruments. In my shop, the capo of choice for mandolin is the Victor banjo capo, followed by the Kyser capo. Kenc

[Hoyt]

Ken,

I can't remember how I ended up with a Victor capo. It may well have been your recommendation. If so, thanks.

I like them not only because the mechanism works smoothly, but because they also look very nice. Gosh, we all spend a bunch of bucks on mandolins, partly because of esthetics.

Why not do the same for capos? The Victor is designed and machined to look nice. It ages nicely and the mechanism feels good. I leave mine clipped above the nut when not in use.

Thanks again for the recommendation. Hoyt

[Mando Medic]

My personal capo for the guitar is the Victor. They easily fit in my front left pocket and I hardly know it's there, but it always is when I need it. The mechanisim works great. It doesn't take much pressure to get the strings down and it goes on quickly and has a very small foot print, meaning that it stays out of the way of your hand when you're playing. The one I use has been in use for over 10 years. Always my first choice. Kenc

[jim_n_virginia]

I'm with Mando Johnny. A capo is a tool and if it makes life easier why not use it. I can play in closed position but what about when you WANT a droning effect? Crosspicking to my ears sound better with some open strings.

I have been seeing this capo thing batted around with the mando community forever and I never could understand it. I can play with or without a capo, but who cares?

I have a self powered Toro lawn mower. I also have a regular non-powered push mower. Is using the self powered one a crutch? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif The lawn STILL gets mowed with either one!

The song STILL gets played and sung whether you use a capo or not.If you are good. the audience will enjoy listening. If you are bad they will not. It's that simple.

And it is funny to me that people make comments about how slow Christian music is. They are thinking that we are playing the old hymns like "Ringing in the Sheaves"

Man listen to some Watersdeep, Caedmans Call, Matt Redmon, Petra etc. etc. ...these aren't your Mother's Praise songs anymore!

peace!

[ronlane3]

{gasping} a capo on a mandolin, the horror http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[mcashion]

Wow, a simple question sure got a lot of conversation going! Anyway, I went with the Shubb deluxe at Eldery for $20. It fits snugly across all the strings and the sound is clear on all the chords. BTW, for all you purists, I am trying to learn the closed chords for Bflat and Eflat, etc. but boy, are they hard! Developing finger muscles I didn't know I needed. Thanks for all the advice and input. Would you believe that the capo arrived via US priority mail two days after the Hurricane roared through Orlando? I don't even have power or water, but hey, I got my Capo., so Im rotating between floating in the pool and picking on the porch. None of my family/friends were injured and no major property loss, so life is good. My instruments spent the storm safely closed in their sturdy cases in an inside closet. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif