CAPO GUITAR
EXPLORING NEW FRETS WITH THE SHORT-CUT CAPO | Mitch Bohannon
I ’ ve been writing about and teaching the Short- Cut Capo for over 20 years now . I teach and explain how I use the capo week in and week out . But , with a deeper dive into theory , for those who wish to explore new things , there is so much more that the Short-Cut can be used for .
E A B C # m
4 4 4 4
When I would teach in large class settings , it seemed there would always be people who know a lot more theory than I do and so I began to develop some advanced charts for more advanced players . If you ’ d like my chart files , just ask for them via email .
It ’ s easiest for me to explain the Short-Cut Capo in terms of positions . The first position is that of placing the Short-Cut Capo at the second fret and playing in “ E ” or “ A ” keys . These are the basic chord shapes that work whether you ’ re actually playing in “ E ” or “ A ” or if you are capo ’ d up the neck with a full capo on , say , fret four and the Short-Cut on fret six ( two frets up ).
Let ’ s re-dissect these chords … think about it … you have a full ( 6-string ) capo on fret 2 of a standard-tuned guitar . Finger a “ D ” chord shape and you are hearing an “ E ” chord . Finger an “ A ” shape and you ’ re hearing a “ B ” chord . Finger a “ G ” shape and you ’ re hearing an “ A ” chord . Now replace the 6-string capo with the 3-string Short-Cut Capo covering strings 3 , 4 , and 5 and finger that same “ D ” chord shape . That works just the same and the open sixth string gives you a low “ E ” for the bass and it ’ s like playing “ Drop-D ,” but in the key of “ E .” Evaluate further and you know that the open first string is an “ E ” and the open second string is a “ B ,” which is also the five-note of the “ E ” chord . So , NOT fingering those two strings and only using one finger on the third string from the “ D ” chord shape creates your first chord , the “ E ” chord , with the Short-Cut Capo .
Now this mini lesson on the first position is important to help us think through what I call the second position . We ’ re playing in the key of “ E .” If I place a full capo on fret two , I will use “ D ” shape chords ( D , G , A , Bm ). If I were to move that capo up to fret four , I could sing in the key of “ E ” by playing chord shapes “ C ,” “ F ,” “ G ,” and “ Am .” That means placing the Short-Cut on the fourth fret by itself and then modifying these “ C ” chords so that I ’ m not fingering strings one and two , I ’ m creating new chord voicings . Check out some of these chords ( chart 1 ). There you have your 1 , 4 , 5 , and 6m chords ( E , A , B , C # m ). So , grab a song you know and strum through it and see if you hear something new .
What do you do with new voicings anyway ? That ’ s a great question . A new voicing may move you to change your strumming technique . I don ’ t find these chord shapes to be as driving as I do the shapes from the first position . So , maybe finger picking is more appropriate , or try just playing diamonds ( whole notes ) to get you started . Listen to the difference and be inspired
to try something new . I have actually found several new chords by making “ mistakes ” that turned out to be musical !
If “ D ” shapes create the first position fingerings and “ C ” shapes create the second position fingerings … what and where would the next position be ? Move the Short-Cut Capo up to fret seven ( 7 ) and modify your “ A ” shape fingerings ( A , D , E , F # m ). Remember to try to not finger the first and second strings as you go . Not fingering these strings helps to create droning notes that will help to glue everything together .
Where can you go next ? I have a chart for some advanced fingerings that use the Short-Cut Capo on a guitar tuned to DADGAD . Honestly , that ’ s not how I play guitar , but for those who want to explore … email me !
Mitch Bohannon Mitch developed the Short-Cut Capo for Kyser and is the Director of Live Production at Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles , Louisiana .
74 March 2024 Subscribe for Free ...