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Capo on Bass
- Thread starter LazyGecko
- Start date
I'm just being cute.
I capo the 12-string a lot of the time, so I can play easier chords. It sucks playing certain chords on that beast. Same with the 6-string, if there's a cool lead to play with open notes in the bass.
I've never capoed a bass guitar, but I would be open to it.
You're contradicting yourself a little. You would NEVER capo a guitar or bass but then you do it on a 12 strings because it is a pain to make some chords ... or to change key ?
Like I said, I was just trying to be funny in that first post. As in people saying "I would NEVER capo.." aw screw it.
Never mind.
I put a capo on my bass for a song called "Arecibo" of our new album. We initially came up with the I-bVII chord progression but I wasn't happy playing power chords. After some fiddling around I figured out if I tune to drop D, then put a capo at the 5th fret, I have an instant low G (which is tonic for most of the song) but also have the droning high C on my g-string. I also like the tonal change, as it puts a little bit more punch in the strings for cutting the scale length in half (Edit: I can't math. It's not half, but it's definitely reduced scale length) I've found that this really helps with the sympathetic vibrations and helps give a feeling of openness to the song. You can definitely play my part without a capo, but I doubt you'd get anywhere close to how to sounds WITH the capo on it.
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Nope! Our drummer is in grad school for planetary science, and he just really liked the name of the space telescope "Arecibo". It's also the name of a car service in NYC.
You capo a guitar so you can play with the same 4-5 chord shapes in a key other than E. On bass, it doesn't make as much sense since we're usually only playing one note at a time.
Drones, hammer-ons and pull-offs (using the open strings), harmonics. The capo is a tool to help you make music, the limit you set for yourself starts in your mind.
I never had interest in playing with a capo, but it seems useful for setting up the bass. For example, holding down the string at the 1st and 15th fret, trying to check the clearance at 8th fret, or insert a feeler, is all very awkward, I always wish I had another hand. Bass players like to try out 4,5,6, ... strings. Is there one capo that handles this?
I searched some old threads and I am not seeing specific brand recommendations or anything talking about wide necks that basses can have.
At least I would like a good one for a 5-string. Has anyone tried one they like?
I searched some old threads and I am not seeing specific brand recommendations or anything talking about wide necks that basses can have.
At least I would like a good one for a 5-string. Has anyone tried one they like?
I only use one if the guitarists use one so I don't have to rewrite the chord chart.Ie laziness hehe guilty as charged.
I've been playing for 47 years. Never used a capo on bass, and have never seen anyone else do it. It's unnecessary, and can be a real crutch. As I often do sub or fill-in work I learn my bass parts in movable positions so I can easily adjust to whatever key the band wants to be in. I also play acoustic guitar, and there I use capos for all sorts of reasons .... vary the voicing of a chord, partial capos for alternate tunings, easy transposition, etc.
I'm not seeing how putting a capo on a longscale gives you in effect a shortscale.
A 34" longscale 4 string the bottom open would be E. Put a capo at third fret up to make it 3 inches shorter, and G becomes your lower open. (Unless you lower the tuning)
On a shortscale your bottom open is E without a capo to start with.
A 34" longscale 4 string the bottom open would be E. Put a capo at third fret up to make it 3 inches shorter, and G becomes your lower open. (Unless you lower the tuning)
On a shortscale your bottom open is E without a capo to start with.
Putting a capo on the 3rd fret of a 34" scale bass would give you a 28.59" scale, and yes you tune that "G" to an "E". I put a capo on my Steinberger quite often, I'll capo at the first fret, effective giving me a 32.092" scale. Of course all the fret markers are off by a fret, but I can fix that easily enough. The Steinberger "hangs" in a much more leftward position, that it feels kinda weird, so I shorten the scale and it feels a little better. Sometimes I'll capo it at the 2nd fret (which makes it 30.291" scale).
I have all the fret markers blacked out, and I'll use a white paint pen to re-mark where they should be (just on the side, the fretboard is all black)
Only time I use it is on capillarian crest on my 5 string since I don't like detuning too much and getting floppy strings and bad intonation. Trying to play that song without is a freaking nightmare.
I use a capo as a third hand when changing strings...guitar and bass. That's it.
If I need to play my guitar or bass in say, Eb for the singer, then I'll play in Eb. Hard to use a capo when going through multiple key changes in one song. In order to play with a multitude of singers and fiddlers, a working knowledge of all keys is essential.
I still get a kick out of folks who'll put the capo on the second fret and then play the G shape. Why not just play in "A"?
If I need to play my guitar or bass in say, Eb for the singer, then I'll play in Eb. Hard to use a capo when going through multiple key changes in one song. In order to play with a multitude of singers and fiddlers, a working knowledge of all keys is essential.
I still get a kick out of folks who'll put the capo on the second fret and then play the G shape. Why not just play in "A"?
Sorry for bump. But not THAT old thread. I do have read all postings but I think capo on a bass is just as a nice idea, and no less crutch than on any acoustic guitar.
I wonder if there's anyone using BEAD tuning on - say - any fanned fret 4 string Dingwall that has the full scale (36.25 on the low "e" or "b" string) and using a capo on 5th just to bring it up to standard tuning and fingering?
Wouldn't it be closer - in timbre - to the shorter scale necks out there? The "open" (capoed) string would be somewhat reminiscent of a short scale bass then 30 - 32. You may want that shorter decay for certain jazz tunes.
There's not too many bassists I know of using capo. IMHO, I think it would be better than to re-de-tune all of the time between numbers, say drop D even if you have a drop D-tuner inserted at the headstock. Say if you play with horns, you just move the capo to Eb or Bb or F. Same with "drop D" you set the capo on third fret and leave it at that. Maybe a slight showing of shortcomings by the player but anyway. Hence the crutch vibe of some. Some people just wants the low E to be "fretted" and not open all of the time.
Also, when doing a lot of funk, thumb and slapping, most bassists rely on open strings, hence the tunes are often in that open keys, E, A or D, or G. The most music of that have horns in it, and wants to play in Bb, F, C or whatever, so I think it would be slightly easier to slam, thumb and pop, if the capo provided open strings in that one key. Same if you do a drop drone, and play chords high up on the rest of the strings and let that low NOTE ring out, that is supposed to ring out. The capo must be a full large Kyser Capo of some sorts, those tiny Shubbs won't do.
You do get rid of the temporary D-tuning syndrome too, when you have D-tuned, after a while the string wants to retract and shrink/expand its way back to its former note. You always have to fine tune, and do a touch up, halfway into any song before it settles. Not so with capos.
I find it no less crutch than any 5 string or Drop D tuner system.
I did use it once, for a botched up nut job by someone. The nut slots wasn't anywhere right and it buzzed at open strings. Dropped half a step - lost the topmost fret - and put a capo on first fret to give me a "new" zero fret. Worked a charm.
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Would love to invent some sort of "capo strip" to go along with the capo. As you put on the capo, the marks and dots on the side of the fretboard followed suit. Same on guitars. Then we can talk about "crutch".
I wonder if there's anyone using BEAD tuning on - say - any fanned fret 4 string Dingwall that has the full scale (36.25 on the low "e" or "b" string) and using a capo on 5th just to bring it up to standard tuning and fingering?
Wouldn't it be closer - in timbre - to the shorter scale necks out there? The "open" (capoed) string would be somewhat reminiscent of a short scale bass then 30 - 32. You may want that shorter decay for certain jazz tunes.
There's not too many bassists I know of using capo. IMHO, I think it would be better than to re-de-tune all of the time between numbers, say drop D even if you have a drop D-tuner inserted at the headstock. Say if you play with horns, you just move the capo to Eb or Bb or F. Same with "drop D" you set the capo on third fret and leave it at that. Maybe a slight showing of shortcomings by the player but anyway. Hence the crutch vibe of some. Some people just wants the low E to be "fretted" and not open all of the time.
Also, when doing a lot of funk, thumb and slapping, most bassists rely on open strings, hence the tunes are often in that open keys, E, A or D, or G. The most music of that have horns in it, and wants to play in Bb, F, C or whatever, so I think it would be slightly easier to slam, thumb and pop, if the capo provided open strings in that one key. Same if you do a drop drone, and play chords high up on the rest of the strings and let that low NOTE ring out, that is supposed to ring out. The capo must be a full large Kyser Capo of some sorts, those tiny Shubbs won't do.
You do get rid of the temporary D-tuning syndrome too, when you have D-tuned, after a while the string wants to retract and shrink/expand its way back to its former note. You always have to fine tune, and do a touch up, halfway into any song before it settles. Not so with capos.
I find it no less crutch than any 5 string or Drop D tuner system.
I did use it once, for a botched up nut job by someone. The nut slots wasn't anywhere right and it buzzed at open strings. Dropped half a step - lost the topmost fret - and put a capo on first fret to give me a "new" zero fret. Worked a charm.
- - - -
Would love to invent some sort of "capo strip" to go along with the capo. As you put on the capo, the marks and dots on the side of the fretboard followed suit. Same on guitars. Then we can talk about "crutch".
