How to Capo the Guitar

Not all chords are equally easy to play or sound good on guitar. For this reason, we sometime utilize a capo. A capo transposes the guitar from a key that's difficult to play in to one that's easier. Another main reason we use a capo is to practice using and learning numbers in specific keys. Some kinds of music utilize a capo more than others.

Guitarists often play in the below bolded keys when strumming. Riff-based songs, lead guitar, jazz, and other more adventurous styles of music often don't utilize a capo and might be played in a key not listed below. The capo is best thought of as a tool to achieve a particular sound and to make the guitar as open and resonant as possible.

These keys (followed by their primary chords, 1, 4, 5, and 6m)  are generally easy to strum in and sound good without a capo:

G (G, C, D, Em)
C (C, F, G, Am)
D (D, G, A, Bm)
A (A, D, E, F#m)
E (E, A, B, C#m)

Most of the chords in these keys can be played easily or have easy alternate forms that are commonly played on guitar. The reason a song would be in a bad key for guitar (not one of the five above) is because it's probably a great key for the singer or it was written on piano, etc. Again, for some genres of music, a capo is rarely or at all utilized. A song in one of these styles in a ‘bad’ guitar key is going to feel the same as a good guitar key because of moveable chords.

Our goal with these charts (at first), if they are not in G, C, D, A, or E, is to use the capo to put the guitar in one of those keys (of those, we learn G numbers first). To do this, we need to study the names of all the keys. The key names come from the 12 tones found in music. When we use them as the names of keys, generally only the flat names are used. The only exception to this is Gb, which can also go by F#. (These keys are organized and best visualized in a diagram called the Circle of 5ths.)

Names of all 12 musical Keys:

A
Ab
G
Gb/F#
F
E
Eb
D
Db
C
B
Bb

These are the names of all 12 (technically 13 with F#) keys that exist in most kinds of music.

The charts in Chordal have the key listed in the title as well as below the title.

The key of Adele's Hello is Ab. 

Ab isn't one of our 5 guitar-friendly keys. This is where the capo comes into play. We use the capo to raise a lower guitar-friendly key to the actual key of the song. 

HOW TO CAPO

1. Figure out the Actual Key of the song-

With 'Hello' it's Ab. It's always in the title. 

2. If the Actual Key isn't G, C, D, A, or E, we want to look underneath the actual key in our list of keys until we see a desired key (G, C, D, A, E)

A
Ab (looking underneath here, we immediately hit G)
G
Gb/F#
F
E
Eb
D
Db
C
B
Bb
A
Ab
G

3. We capo the amount of notes from the actual to the desired key (Ab down to G is 1). We raised the key of G (desired and easy to play in) 1 fret using the capo, which makes it sound like Ab (actual key, terrible to strum in for guitar).

4. Capoing can be confusing. Here is a handy Capo FAQ that might help shed light on the why and how of capoing (this can also be found in the site footer). Here is a printable capo guide.

More Examples

1. 7 Years, Lucas Graham- Actual key is Bb. We could play in A capo 1, but G capo 3 is a much better option.

2. Rolling in the Deep, Adele- Actual key is Eb. We could play in D capo 1, but C capo 3 is a simpler way to play it.

3. Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison- Actual key is G. We're good! Older songs have a tendency to be in friendlier guitar keys.

(Bonus Examples for songs in G with no capo- The Beatles' Love Me Do, Bobby Fuller Four's I Fought the Law, The Avett Brothers' Walking For You, Neil Young's Hitchhiker, Gillian Welch's Red Clay Halo, Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here, Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You, AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long)

4. Yellow, Coldplay- Actual key is B, G capo 4 sounds great but A capo 2 would also work well. For advanced guitarists, even chords in B no capo could sound good (B is an uncommon key to strum in but with simpler songs isn’t too bad).

5. I Won't Give Up, Jason Mraz- Actual key is F. There are a few options here, E capo 1, D capo 3, or C capo 5. 

6. Sweet Home Alabama, Lynard Skynard- Actual key is D. Here is an example of a song in D with no capo.

(Bonus Examples for songs in D with no capo- Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, Jason Isbell's Children of Children, CCR's Up Around the Bend, Brandi Carlile's Turpentine, Elvis Presley's Burning Love, Ed Sheeran's Castle on the Hill)

7. Little Lion Man, Mumford and Sons- Actual key is F. They play it C capo 5.

8. Ho Hey, The Lumineers- Actual key is C. They play it in C.

9. Tin Man, Miranda Lambert- Actual key is C. She plays it G capo 5 to change the sound. 

10. Landslide, Fleetwood Mac- Actual key is Bb. They play it in G capo 3.

11. You've Got a Friend, James Taylor- Actual key is A. James does his signature fingerpicking in the key of G, capo 2. 

12. Rainbow Stew, Merle Haggard- Actual key is Bb. Merle probably played it in G capo 3, though you could also play A capo 1. 

13. Traveller, Chris Stapleton- Actual key is F. Chris definitely plays it D capo 3. This is obvious because there is a D-sounding hammer-on lick in the intro (we'll talk more about key-specific sounds down the road).

14. Sam Stone, John Prine. Actual key is F. John plays it in C capo 5. C is a popular fingerpicking key.

15. Hey Soul Sister, Train. Actual key is E. E is a good key but could be played in D capo 2, or C capo 4. 

16. Young in All the Wrong Ways, Sara Watkins. Actual key is E. She plays it in E. 

(Bonus Examples for songs in E with no capo- Merle Haggard's Big City, Harry Styles' Two Ghosts, Three Dog Night's Never Been to Spain, Taylor Swift's Red, Mumford and Sons' The Cave)

17. Arms of a Woman, Amos Lee. Actual key is A, Capoed key is A, capo 2. The low E string picked on the 5 chord (E chord) is a good giveaway that it’s played in an A form.

18.  Pumped Up Kicks, Foster the People. Actual key is Eb. Capoed key is D, capo 1. (This song is pretty rocky and mostly riff-driven and could be pulled off without a capo if preferred.)

19. Free Falling, Tom Petty. Actual key is F. Capoed key is D, capo 3. (The D chord has a characteristic sound and accompanying licks that this song is full of. That's why this isn't E, Capo 1.

20. Come Pick Me Up, Ryan Adams. Actual key is Bb. Capoed key is G, capo 3. The same is true for Fleetwood Mac's Landslide.

21. Delicate, Damien Rice. Actual key is F. Capoed key is C, capo 5. (C has a characteristic sound and licks that many acoustic guitarists often utilize.)

22. Fire and Rain, James Taylor. Actual key is C. Capoed key is
A, capo 3. James' fingerpicking style caters to the keys of D, A, and G.