Macca with a capo on his Ricky

[BigJohnAZ]

Watched this tonight, it's about recording Rubber Soul. Many pics of Paul with a capo on the 5th fret, any idea what song this could be? I realize they may not have recorded it with this set up. It could have simply been experimentation and nothing came out of it.

Recording Rubber Soul

 

[Krakmann]

Salud!

No idea. I use a capo for playing Footloose in B. I could put the time to learn it "properly", but...

 

[Chrisk-K]

I always thought that Ob-La-Di would be much easier to play with a capo on the first fret.

 

[DanDBassist]

I use a capo to play "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac in F

 

[mapleglo]

I can't remember ever putting a capo on a bass.

 

[John Sparkman]

I read previously that Paul recorded some of the bass part for the song Michelle with the capo at the 5th fret.

 

[sethlow3]

If you have a fiver and don’t want to mess with multiple basses or tunings, the only way you can play “sad but true” by Metallica is with a capo on the third fret. You won’t get the signature pull-offs that make the riff otherwise.

While it isn’t the best example in the world, it’s one of the few times I’ve needed one. Otherwise, I just learn other riffs (ie: spoon man, even flow) on the fiver when possible.
By all means, experiment…there are no rules… other than tune the bass AFTER you put the capo on. who knows? You may come up with something really catchy.

 

[jnewmark]

Watched this tonight, it's about recording Rubber Soul. Many pics of Paul with a capo on the 5th fret, any idea what song this could be? I realize they may not have recorded it with this set up. It could have simply been experimentation and nothing came out of it.

Recording Rubber Soul

If it helps any, George is playing a 12 string in that photo.

 

[mambo4]

I once had a capo on my ricky
I drank a glass of warm salt water and it went away like that

 

[Jeff Scott]

 

[frankie5string]

There's an interview out there from years ago where someone asked him about that. Apparently it was just experimentation and/or a song which was written in a key he didn't easily know how to play, or that it just changed the sound of the instrument to inspire himself a bit.
He also often tuned his basses down to D.

I'm always impressed at how personally insulted bass players seem to get on the internet when they see that photo. Some of them seem to take real serious issues with it. You do what you want to get the "thing" you want out of it...

 

[NickLidstrom]

I use a capo to play "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac in F

I don’t mean this rudely at all, just curious: why?

 

[turf3]

The thing to keep in mind is McCartney is a musical genius but completely self-taught. If he gets better results by playing bass with a capo, that's what he does.

 

[BigJohnAZ]

This is probably when the Beatles were entering their era of let's see how this sounds? I can see playing a bass line in the upper registers with a capo do that open note timbre. Then, either doubling it on the normal, lower strings. Or, a normal bass line and a capo to harmonize that line up above. I just might play with that a bit.

 

[Killing Floor]

Who?

 

[Chrisk-K]

I don’t mean this rudely at all, just curious: why?

The song frequently uses the low F note, which is easier to play with a capo on the first fret.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

He's Macca, he can do whatever the hell he wants on a bass. Plus they seem to have had virtually unlimited studio time, so lots of time to mess around with ideas that went nowhere. Personally never use a capo except when I'm setting up my bass, capo on the first and finger on the fret where the string passes over the body to check relief.

 

[PolkaHero]

I use a capo at the third fret for playing a Seger song that we moved from E down to C, works really well.

 

[Dave TB Killer]

I tune down a whole step. A capo is my new thing sometimes, just because I can. I mean think about it. Guitar players have been using them. So why not Bass players. I have also noticed Keef has been using one a lot on stage the last few years.

 

[DanDBassist]

I don’t mean this rudely at all, just curious: why?

Pretty much every other note is F and the capo gives my 73 year old hand a welcome break, especially after playing a few songs in Bb.