Simple Capo question

JakeDTH · 10-09-2010, 05:17 AM

Hello,

If I tune my guitar to D# and put a Capo on the first fret, would I then be playing in standard tuning?

Sorry to ask such a simple thing, I would just try, but I don't have a Capo.

Thanks in advance.

GuitarBizarre · 10-09-2010, 08:15 AM

Yes you're correct, although why you would do that is somewhat a mystery.

JakeDTH · 10-10-2010, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuitarBizarre

Yes you're correct, although why you would do that is somewhat a mystery.

Thanks, I'll buy a capo then. And well, I have some songs in standard, some in D#, some in drop D, and some in drop C#. I don't have four guitars, so for live performances I'd like to have one guitar in D# and capo it for some songs to get standard and another guitar in drop C# and capo it for some songs to get drop D.

mr dave · 10-10-2010, 04:20 PM

one point of clarification that needs to be made.

there's a difference between dropped-D and tuned down to D.

a 'dropped-X' tuning is implied for the low-E string only. hence 'dropped D' is DADGBE, same as standard only the low E is dropped to D to make playing power chords simpler (becomes a 1 finger thing). tuning down to D is when all strings drop a full step, or DGCFAD.

if you're doing tunes like Spoonman (which needs dropped D) then a capo is not at all going to address your issue (but a pedal tuner would).

JakeDTH · 10-10-2010, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr dave

one point of clarification that needs to be made.

there's a difference between dropped-D and tuned down to D.

a 'dropped-X' tuning is implied for the low-E string only. hence 'dropped D' is DADGBE, same as standard only the low E is dropped to D to make playing power chords simpler (becomes a 1 finger thing). tuning down to D is when all strings drop a full step, or DGCFAD.

if you're doing tunes like Spoonman (which needs dropped D) then a capo is not at all going to address your issue (but a pedal tuner would).

Correct me if I'm wrong, these are the names of the tunings I'm expecting to play in:

Standard - E-A-D-G-B-E
Dropped D - D-A-D-G-B-E
D# (Eb) - D#-G#-C#-F#-A#-D# (Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb)
Dropped C# (Dropped Db) - C#-G#-C#-F#-A#-D# (Db-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb)

So I think placing a capo on the first fret of a guitar in D# would bring it back to standard. And placing a capo on the first fret of a guitar in Dropped C# would bring it back to Dropped D. And of course everything has to be played a fret down.

Am I correct? I am kind of confused.

mr dave · 10-10-2010, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JakeDTH

Correct me if I'm wrong, these are the names of the tunings I'm expecting to play in:

Standard - E-A-D-G-B-E
Dropped D - D-A-D-G-B-E
D# (Eb) - D#-G#-C#-F#-A#-D# (Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb)
Dropped C# (Dropped Db) - C#-G#-C#-F#-A#-D# (Db-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb)

So I think placing a capo on the first fret of a guitar in D# would bring it back to standard. And placing a capo on the first fret of a guitar in Dropped C# would bring it back to Dropped D. And of course everything has to be played a fret down.

Am I correct? I am kind of confused.

that's spot on. though personally i call the third one Eb, but that's just splitting hairs.

JakeDTH · 10-11-2010, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr dave

that's spot on. though personally i call the third one Eb, but that's just splitting hairs.

I started calling Eb D# because whenever I told people the tuning I'd say "it's E flat" and they would get this weird look on their faces like a "so you're playing out of tune?" But whenever I said "it's D sharp" people would react like "so D but slightly higher, interesting", it's weird but that's why I call it D# now.

mr dave · 10-11-2010, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JakeDTH

I started calling Eb D# because whenever I told people the tuning I'd say "it's E flat" and they would get this weird look on their faces like a "so you're playing out of tune?" But whenever I said "it's D sharp" people would react like "so D but slightly higher, interesting", it's weird but that's why I call it D# now.

it's all good haha like the difference between to-may-to and to-mah-to so long as everyone is on the same page it doesn't matter what font the information is written in.

Dr_Rez · 10-14-2010, 04:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JakeDTH

I started calling Eb D# because whenever I told people the tuning I'd say "it's E flat" and they would get this weird look on their faces like a "so you're playing out of tune?" But whenever I said "it's D sharp" people would react like "so D but slightly higher, interesting", it's weird but that's why I call it D# now.

I think most people call it Eb. Its not uncommon. SRV and Hendrix both used it a lot. I cant name them all but I know many prominent blues guitarists also used it because it gave them a little more lower end.

JakeDTH · 10-11-2010, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJPuffyLemon

What you're saying is correct, I think there was just some misunderstanding regarding which guitars are capoed for which purpose. So capoing D# would bring it to E, and capoing dropped C# would bring it to dropped D, which you said, and which would work.

Cool, cool. Thanks for the confirmation. I hope I can find a capo that works nice with 11/12 gauge strings.