Macca with a capo on his Ricky

[brianrost]

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

I tried a capo just yesterday because the BL told me to be ready to play the Peter Gunn theme on Saturday.



The original TV theme is in F and so is Duane Eddy’s cover version. The bass line is: F F G F Ab F Bb A on the original and Duane’s version is the same but it ends with F Bb Ab.

The Blues Brothers and most of the YT video tutorials play it a half step down: E E F# E G E A Ab

F not being an open string, it’s clumsy to play it in that key unless you play it up an octave which is probably why so many people play it in E. So I tried tuning the E string up to F and also tried a capo on the first fret, both worked. When I checked back with the BL he confirmed we’ll do it in E. So I can leave the capo home and skip retuning for just one song.

 

[DJ Bebop]

View attachment 7044018

Well, he looks high so…

 

[DJ Bebop]

In the upright community, we’ve used capos sort of, for a long time…

 

[Jeff Scott]

Well, he looks high so…

That's something of a given, isn't it?

 

[Jeff Scott]

In the upright community, we’ve used capos sort of, for a long time…

I see those in action quite often (The Cleveland Orchestra).

 

[FilterFunk]

"Macca with a capo on his Ricky" - try saying that to someone unfamiliar with bass!

 

[DJ Bebop]

That's something of a given, isn't it?

Pretty much…

 

[BAG]

they seem to have had virtually unlimited studio time, so lots of time to mess around with ideas that went nowhere.

I heard on a documentary that their contract with EMI gave them unlimited studio time at no cost.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Pretty much…

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It's a lifestyle...

 

[Jeff Scott]

(The Cleveland Orchestra).

 

[mark107]

My theory: Being mainly a songwriter who wrote mostly on guitar, if he wrote wrote a song with a capo on the 5th fret, it would have made sense to him to put a capo on the bass. He doesn't strike me as a "now let me learn this song I just wrote that I have to record later today in a totally new key" kind of guy.

 

[MrAB4003]

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.

Me too! I sometimes need to play in either Eb or E standard with open strings, but I don't want to tune up. So I like to put a capo on either the 1st or 2nd fret in those cases.

I sometimes also put a capo on those frets on my piccolo bass. It serves the same role as guitar, so why not use a capo as needed?

 

[DanDBassist]

In the upright community, we’ve used capos sort of, for a long time…

My wife also has the C extension with levers (capos). It is used in many symphonic pieces.

 

[dannylectro]

Funny…I’ve been playing bass for 30+ years and it never occurred to me to try a capo, even though I use frequently when I play guitar. Def gonna give it a try…

 

[BAG]

Funny…I’ve been playing bass for 30+ years and it never occurred to me to try a capo, even though I use frequently when I play guitar. Def gonna give it a try…

I used one a couple of years back playing with a new band. They wanted to play a song I'd played for many years that involved open strings. My muscle memory was making it difficult to play in the new key so I used a capo that night until I had a chance to relearn it properly. The others only cared that I played in tune....... the world didn't end and the sun came up the next day. Amazing.