What is a Guitar Capo?
A capo is a small device that is used on the neck of a guitar which reduces the playable length of the strings. This raises the pitch of the guitar strings when played. The capo is made such that it fits onto the neck of the guitar on the selected fret which shortens the length of the strings. The musician could play guitar with an altogether different tuning. Hence guitarist uses capo for alternative purpose of playing guitar.
Strap on Guitar Capos
It is the simplest form of guitar capo that consists of two components namely a rubber strap and a bar. The bar is placed on the guitar strings and the strap is tightened firmly around the neck of the guitar.
Trigger Style Guitar Capos
It is the one of the most common type of guitar capo. It consists of two bars which are held tight with the help of a spring. The first bar is placed over strings whereas the second bar pushes behind the neck. This capo allows guitarists to quickly and easily change the tension of device, thus they are also known as quick release capos.
Spring Loaded Capos
It uses spring controlled handle that allows guitarists to add or remove the capo easily. It is somewhat similar to trigger style capo. This capo can be placed or removed using single hand. The tension of this capo cannot be adjusted like trigger style capo hence it could lead to string bend.
Ratchet Capos
The Ratchet Capo uses a simple and intuitive design to gently lock strings into place at any desired fret. It is made of plastic or fiber like material and mostly works on the technique of ratchet locks being used. One press of the quick release lever unlocks the capo for placement around the guitar's neck. Once in place a gentle squeeze with your fingering hand locks the ratchet capo into place.
Screw-on Capos
These capos use a single screw to for clamping the capo over guitar neck. The tension of the device is adjusted through a screw that is held on one of the bars of the capo. It can be rotated clockwise or anticlockwise to built or release the tension.
Roller Capos
This capo can be said a revolutionary device. Imagine that a guitarist changing the capo position in the middle of playing the music without interrupting the show. This capo have rollers on both the sides hence the guitarist can change the keys quickly in the middle just by rolling the capo forward or backward.
Partial Capos
Another alternate type of guitar capo available these days, is known as the partial capo which is commonly used to fret certain selected strings of the guitar.
Alternate Tuning Capos
The alternative tuning device is ideal for guitarists who want to experiment with guitar tuning on various levels since this capo allows the musician to tune every individual string which in turn provides numerous possibilities for open string tuning and all this can be accomplished without detuning the guitar.
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