capo, capo no

[Mark Gunter]

Best way to figure this out is learn guitar, guitar fretboard and guitar chords. Then learn mandolin, mandolin fretboard and mandolin chords. It all sorts out after that.

[colorado_al]

Until you have played a lot more and learned some of the methods mentioned above, get a capo and use it. Some will look at you sideways, but at least you'll be able to play along.
https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Waves-.../dp/B00GTSM9XI
Some great players use a capo on their mandolin.

[David Lewis]

I'm getting vertigo trying to keep up here. Theory is not my forte. Can someone point me to an idiot level explanation of all this?

I like 'Music Theory for Dummies' as a good start. I use it myself when I'm teaching. It's very good.

[Denny Gies]

Use a capo if you want to. I used to play with an ol' Florida cracker who used a capo on his mandolin. He was one heck of a picker and the capo didn't effect his playing one hoot.

[Jeff Mando]

You could enlist the dogmatic arrogance of the late Ian Stewart who would lift his hands off the keyboard in refusal, even with the Rolling Stones, if a song with a minor key was suggested.......

you see, he was a boogie woogie man all the way!

[mee]

That's fine for you, I simply answered the question for me, capo, capo no. I started with a capo myself and had fun but it wasn't until I quit using it that I realized I had been hindered and have much more fun now having the whole fretboard free. But I don't see where my simple answer was disapproving of anyone else.

Me, I just put a capo on the mandolin, and folks are free to disapprove all they like. Myself and the people I'm playing with still have a good time making music, so I think we're coming out winners.

Oops sorry frogster, I thought that comment was for me (mee)

[OldSausage]

That's fine for you, I simply answered the question for me, capo, capo no. I started with a capo myself and had fun but it wasn't until I quit using it that I realized I had been hindered and have much more fun now having the whole fretboard free. But I don't see where my simple answer was disapproving of anyone else.

I think he meant "Me", not "Mee". You probably get that a lot.

[farmerjones]

However the capo is a great idea when one wants to use the open strings of an instrument. This is not cheating but choosing.

Absolutely! If you're arranging, chord voicing is important, especially when there's more than one of an instrument.

Another reason for key selection. It's not just about the vocalist's range. How tedious would it be to listen to somebody play in one key all night? Voicing is a must.

[Mark Gunter]

I have to read the thread title as something like this was intended: "Capo > Capo Number" rather than "Should I use a capo, or no?"

I base that on reading the original post, where OP has trouble figuring out what key by watching where the guitarist places a capo. I don't think the OP mentions his thinking about using a capo on mandolin. Not that it matters ...

[JeffD]

I like 'Music Theory for Dummies' as a good start. I use it myself when I'm teaching. It's very good.

I second the motion. It is a good reference.

[JeffD]

I get the concept of capoing, and can do some basic transposing. But when you start to get into complicated letters and roman numerals (what the heck is a "myxolidian"), you've lost me. Long ago, I sat down and tried to figue out the circle of fifths. Two bottles of extra - strength Excedrin later I realized a high level of musical achievement was not in the cards for me. That was when I decided the fun for me was in straightforward banging out chords on the couch. If not the satisfaction of accomplishment, I at least have joy from playing. You've got to know your limitations.

I think calling it music theory can be misleading. Its just "how music works".

That said you certainly do not need to know or grasp all of it to grasp enough of it to be useful. You don't need to know mixofreudian hot and cold running door knobs and all that.

The number system is useful to learn, magically useful. I think its been overly complicated in explanation because some people want to to appear as if they have done some deep deep study to justify the noticeable improvement in their playing. Well maybe I am paranoid.

Don't be fooled. Its not that tough. Not the stuff you need to know to take advantage of it.

[JeffD]

I have gotten to the point in the capo debate where I cannot understand why anyone should care whether someone else uses one or not.

My only advice is, if you use a capo, paint it a bright obnoxious pink or green or something, so you can irritate the purists in the back row.

[Roger Moss]

I have gotten to the point in the capo debate where I cannot understand why anyone should care whether someone else uses one or not.

My only advice is, if you use a capo, paint it a bright obnoxious pink or green or something, so you can irritate the purists in the back row.

I like that. Too many times I have let what others were doing affect my own enjoyment of playing in my own way. I am only recently getting to where I am playing for myself alone.

But if you want to paint your capo, take a look at these first...


https://www.amazon.com/Acoustic-Elec.../dp/B0711CTBZ5

[Frogstar]

Oops sorry frogster, I thought that comment was for me (mee)

Heh, no worries.
We actually have a couple guitarists that don't even approve of using one on a guitar.

[colorado_al]

When I first started playing mandolin I used a capo a lot since our guitar player used one all the time to play in Bb or F# or wherever he chose that night. Once I learned more about the mandolin and music in general I began to find it easier to not use the capo and to transpose in my head from where the guitar was set. Having the full fingerboard available for soloing is nice. I do still use it some if we're playing in Bb, but I'll capo at 1st fret and play in A, which still is different than the guitarist who plays a G shape at a different capo position. It can be really useful.
Sierra Hull uses a capo in several of her songs, and also changes capo positions mid song on some of them.

[Jeff Mando]

Sierra Hull uses a capo in several of her songs, and also changes capo positions mid song on some of them.

George Jones used to move his capo up one fret when the song modulated, often missing a whole measure and a half........easy to find videos of him doing this online. Of course, he wasn't plugged in and the band had the song well under control without him playing......

[colorado_al]

George Jones used to move his capo up one fret when the song modulated, often missing a whole measure and a half........easy to find videos of him doing this online. Of course, he wasn't plugged in and the band had the song well under control without him playing......

Sierra Hull moves her capo while her bass player, EJ, takes a solo. Sometimes from very high up the neck to 2nd fret

[clarksavage]

This is a fun and interesting discussion. My solution has been (and I am a rank mediocre player anyway.....) to look at the first four fret positions of the guitar being played, turn them upside down in my head (capo included) and base my playing on that shape. It's been good enough for horseshoes.

Now, to get down to my local shop and get a copy of Music Theory for Dummies.

Clark

[f5loar]

When I see someone playing mandolin with a capo, I can only think they aren't taking the mandolin seriously. When I started playing at age 10, no one told me I could use a capo. I was using one on a guitar. I did fine finding my way around until I hit that Bflat key. I still hate that key on the mandolin. I blame Frank Wakefield for mandolin players having to learn Bflat. I didn't even think they made one for the mandolin. Maybe people were using banjo capos and pretending it was for the mandolin. As Monroe would say "that ain't no part of nothin' " . So yeah. learn the fingerboard without a capo or people like me won't take you seriously.

[Charlie Bernstein]

I am new to music and decided to start with the mandolin. And I am 57. How is the easiest way to convert chords when my guitar friends capo up? . . .

Some of the folks above have easy answers and some have hard answers. There's no one answer.

Mark's is probably the most useful: there are no tricks, it takes time to learn.

When a capo goes on a guitar, I just say, "What key?" The more I learn to move scales and chords up and down the neck, the easier it gets.

Remember: You're learning a new language. It takes time and practice. The best way to learn is to play with other people as often as possible.

[Phil Goodson]

Playing in all keys on a mandolin is not all that hard. It just takes some time and THOUGHTFUL PRACTICE.

But f5loar is right. If you use a capo because you need it to play that key, people often won't take you seriously.

Thing is: It doesn't matter, if you're having fun.
(But if you want others to take you seriously, ditch the capo unless there are special circumstances.)

[DavidKOS]

You do realize this discussion never happens at all among classical, Italian, jazz, choro or Klezmer mandolinists.

12 keys, no waiting, no capo.

[colorado_al]

When I see someone playing mandolin with a capo, I can only think they aren't taking the mandolin seriously. When I started playing at age 10, no one told me I could use a capo. I was using one on a guitar. I did fine finding my way around until I hit that Bflat key. I still hate that key on the mandolin. I blame Frank Wakefield for mandolin players having to learn Bflat. I didn't even think they made one for the mandolin. Maybe people were using banjo capos and pretending it was for the mandolin. As Monroe would say "that ain't no part of nothin' " . So yeah. learn the fingerboard without a capo or people like me won't take you seriously.

You presume other people care if you take them seriously. It is a matter of personal choice. If you like to use a capo, use it. If you don't like to use a capo, don't use it. Please don't judge others for their personal choice.

[doublestoptremolo]

The only time I've thought about using a capo on a mandolin is when someone at a jam wanted to do "I'm Going Back to Old Kentucky" in a higher key, like B-flat or B. That song seems to benefit from sliding into the root note (A) on the third string while playing the open A string.

One benefit of no capo is you don't have to retune all the time like a lot of banjo players.

[DavidKOS]

The only time I've thought about using a capo on a mandolin is when someone at a jam wanted to do "I'm Going Back to Old Kentucky" in a higher key, like B-flat or B. That song seems to benefit from sliding into the root note (A) on the third string while playing the open A string.
.

There's the real reason for a capo - to USE open strings in certain licks.