Mandolin Glossary

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Capo

A capo is a device that clamps the strings down on a particular fret, to aid in transposing music on a fretted instrument. Guitarists use them all the time. Some mandolin players frown on capos for reasons that won't be addressed here. But there is no reason you cannot use a capo on a mandolin and many people do.

Capos are more commonly used on in mandolin family instruments such as octaves, bouzoukis and citterns which favor a longer neck length.

For a mandolin with a flat fretboard, any capo designed for a banjo will generally work and they are generally available at most music stores. Some major brands include: Shubb, Kyser and Dunlop, although there are many others.

Authored by: Mandolin Cafe

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