Easily Change Key with the Best Guitar Capo
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G7th Performance 3 Guitar Capo -
SpiderCapo Standard Tuning Guitar Capo -
Dunlop Trigger Acoustic Curved Guitar Capo -
Planet Waves Guitar Capo Pro -
Kyser Quick-Change Capo - Electric -
Buyer's Guide
If guitarists are super heroes (and let’s be honest, they all are, to some varying degree), then the capo most definitely belongs in the utility belt that carries the tools and tricks they need to get the job done. A capo essentially changes the key of a guitar, allowing players to voice more intricate barre chords using open chord finger positions. But beyond that, the capo is also a great songwriting accessory, giving players a new perspective on how they write and what chords they play, as well as quickly transposing the instrument to fit the key of a song. Here are the best guitar capos in 2022 we've chosen, with each one listed here designed to easily attach and detach from your guitar using just one hand, provides a low amount of tension so as not to create any damage or buzzing to your strings when applied, and can easily be stored on the headstock of the guitar when not in use.
The Best Guitar Capo Models of 2022 in Detail
G7th Performance 3 Guitar Capo - Best Guitar Capo Overall
G7th’s G7 Performance 2 guitar capo is designed with the performer in mind. It’s easy to attach to your guitar, thanks to its patented clutch mechanism that won’t leave you fumbling to put on your fretboard. This capo also gives your guitar’s strings and neck room to breathe, so you don’t have to worry about negatively affecting the sustain or surface of your instrument. The Performance 2 is also small enough to easily fit on your headstock, making it ideal for players who are using the capo live and need to effortlessly stow it away when not in use. The capo’s lightweight design also ensures that it won’t pull on your strings, which typically can throw your guitar out of tune. It can also be easily taken off by simply squeezing the capo; you can literally take it off using only one hand which is again ideal for guitarists who use a capo in their live performances.
SpiderCapo Standard Tuning Guitar Capo - Runner Up
One quick glance at the Creative Tunings Spider Capo definitely shows that it’s unlike any other guitar capo out there; it definitely doesn’t look like your average capo. Individual lever-triggered pads for each string allow players to easily switch between standard tuning, open tunings, and more. Each string can be fine tuned to its own note, which gives you a huge range of tuning possibilities. You can also make any of these changes mid-performance; while that’s not necessarily a feature that may excite everybody, the fact that it’s possible definitely opens up new trains of thought in terms of performance and even the way songs can be written. The Spider Capo works with both electric and acoustic guitars.
Dunlop Trigger Acoustic Curved Guitar Capo - Honorable Mention
Acoustic guitars with curved fretboards definitely deserve a capo that’s designed to best suit their shape. Enter the Dunlop 83CB Trigger Acoustic Capo. This tool is made from aircraft aluminum, and has a low-profile shape that is ideal for curved fretboards. The low-profile design also stays out of your fingers’ way. It’s reliable and lightweight, and is easy to quickly apply and remove.
Planet Waves Guitar Capo Pro - Consider
When you’re taking a capo on or off your guitar, you want it to be a seamless process. Unfortunately, so many capos on the market today are far from a quick thing and there’s nothing worse than fumbling around with one when you’re on stage. The Planet Waves PW-CP-02 capo circumvents a lot of the frustrating aspects of capo usage with its sleek design. It’s ultra-light, made from aerospace grade aluminum and can be put on and off with just one hand. Its fast micrometer screw also promises a buzz-free performance from your guitar, and it won’t pull on your strings to make them go out of tune, either. The design of this capo also allows it to work for both six and twelve string guitars.
Kyser Quick-Change Capo - Electric - Best Guitar Capo
While most people tend to think of the acoustic guitar when they think of using a capo, it still can definitely find its place on the fretboard of an electric. Kyser’s Quick-Change capo is designed specifically to fit the lower action on the neck of the electric guitar. It has a slightly smaller body and provides less tension than most other capos. It’s also able to be quickly applied with just one hand. It can also easily be attached to the headstock of your guitar for when it’s not in use. Kyser also offers a 30-day full refund on their product, so you really don’t have anything to lose by trying it out.
Buyer's Guide
Clamp and Play with The Best Guitar Capo
Here’s a comprehensive guide that’ll help you get to the best guitar capos in 2021.
What is a Guitar Capo Actually for?
Since the 1600s, you can see the greatest of the musicians using capos. Guitar capos are small devices that are strap-like to clamp down across the fingerboard of the guitar for pressure. They are applied to increase the tension on the strings so it can reflect on the tone pitch they produce when strung.
Guitar capo will always make your strings generate a higher pitch than they normally do. The placement also affects the intensity of the sound produced. The main idea behind capos is to eliminate the extra labor of playing barre chords high up the neck. You can simply clamp them in one place at the most appropriate fret.
Some musicians also use partial capos to vary sections of bassline or melodies in a music piece. Guitar capos save you the need to tune another key from scratch when you need to play at a higher pitch. Capos can also be used on other instruments such as mandolas, mandolins, ukuleles, banjos, and bouzoukis.
How to Use a Capo?
Using a capo is actually pretty easy. You can follow these simple steps to set it up:
1. First, you need to clamp the capo close to the fret that you desire as much as possible with just the appropriate amount of pressure that will eliminate buzzing from strings in motion.
2. Then, you must make sure that all the strings on the guitar are tight enough. This means that all open strings must ring clearly. It shouldn’t be too tight that the strings get sharply pulled back as it might break them.
3. While choosing a capo for your guitar, get one that mirrors the width and curvature of the fretboard. Pick one that matches the neck of your guitar. Some guitars, such as a 12-string one, come with very wide fretboards while others have a very curved one.
4. Capos may also sometimes get in the way of your fretting hand. Make sure that the capo is of a kind that doesn’t interrupt your technique.
5. The neck of a guitar can easily get scratched or dented. You need to be careful when attaching the capo to both sides of the neck, i.e., the fretboard and the back.
What Are the Types of Guitar Capos?
There are four kinds of capos generally used by guitar players. They are briefly explained below:
Trigger/Spring Loaded Capos
Spring-loaded capos or trigger capos come with a spring-controlled handle that enables the player to remove or add capo quickly and safely to the neck. This can be done even in the middle of the song you’re playing. You can easily clamp and unclamp the capo with one hand.
Elastic Band Capos
Elastic band capos are also known as lever capos. They are inexpensive and make a great choice for amateur guitarists. Lever capos are lightweight and have a notched mechanism that tightens the capo to the strings.
Elastic band capos attach to a grommet hole present on its far side and draw from the band across the neck of the guitar. They are small and would never interfere with your fretting hand.
C-Clamp Capos
C-Clamp capos need to manually be adjusted and screwed in their place. You can fix the capo on the desired position and turn the screws according to the pressure needed. They are impactful and very less likely to impede the guitarist’s technique.
Tri-Action Capos
This is a combination of spring-type and screw adjustment capos. This is an extremely adjustable capo made for fine-tuning. It’s very easy to move on the guitar’s neck curvature and just as easy to release and remove.
Benefits of Using Capos
Capos are great tools that bring ease and boost the creativity of the user. Some prominent advantages of capos are:
- Capos can substitute as your first finger on barre chords so they’re free to play the strings below. Thus, you only have to play notes on the third, fourth, and fifth string. The capo can do the rest. Your fingers are free for fancy chordal embellishments.
- Capos come in handy when you’re playing with another guitarist. When two guitarists play at once, a very common situation is both of you playing the exact same thing. This can sound somewhat muddy when recorded. Capos allow you to complement one another by crafting guitar parts to add the textures you need.
- If you place the capo high up the neck of the guitar, it will raise the pitch of the open strings so you can play at different keys. You don’t have to memorize a plethora of chord sequences of several chords, just adjust a capo and play on.
Conclusion
Capos are wonderful tools that can help you take your music to new levels and explore more. This small tool can breathe a new life into your musical journey.
This guide outlines the benefits, uses, and kinds of capos that are available today for you to choose the ones that match the frequency of your style, your techniques, and the guitar’s neck. You’ll be equipped to land on the best guitar capo in 2021 once you know exactly what you’re getting and how it’s going to benefit you.
Best Guitar Capo FAQs
Some of the most frequently asked questions about a guitar’s capo are:
Q: How can you adjust a capo to eliminate buzz?
A: The best place to put a capo at for handling buzz from playing strings is the front fret. This is because the front fret is the nearest to the guitar body.
Q: Do I need to retune my guitar once I place a capo on?
A: Yes. You will have to retune the guitar, especially if you’re using it on an entry-level guitar or if you’re placing it way up the neck.
Q: Are capos bad for guitars?
A: They may be. Capos can sometimes make your guitar frets wear out faster than they would otherwise. You can manage this with the right capo tension.
