It’s become fashionable to play a song with one particular tuning and then either (a) use another guitar with a different tuning or (b) re tune your guitar to play the next song. If you know how to use the capo properly you won’t have to bother with that. You will be able to play all your songs using standard tuning.

So why don’t more guitarist use a capo and stop fiddling around
with different tunings? After all you don’t walk into a music
store and ask for a piano in drop “D” do you?

The truth of the matter is, most guitarists / teachers are not
aware of the many applications of a capo. Indeed, a large number
of guitar teachers frown upon using a capo and look at it as a
way of “cheating” – a “shortcut” way of playing without learning
the guitar “properly”.

After over thirty years of guitar playing, recording, arranging
and producing … nothing could be further from the truth!

I have to tell you that these comments about “cheating” are
mostly born of ignorance.

All professional studio guitarists understand the importance of
knowing how to use a capo (many guitar sounds we hear on a daily
basis on the radio use a capo). A good working knowledge of the
capo will allow you to play most songs WITHOUT having to alter
the tuning of the guitar.

Now, what are the benefits of using a capo …

Knowing the notes of a Chromatic scale is the key to
understanding how to use a capo.

The chromatic scale is a scale whereby you start on any note and
simply play twelve consecutive notes in a linear fashion on a
single string until you reach the note of the same letter name
you started on.

Here is an “E” chromatic scale, you could apply this scale to
either the first or sixth string of the guitar.

E chromatic scale: E, F, F#/Gb, G, G#/Ab, A, A#/Bb, B, C, C#/Db,
D, D#/Eb, E

Now a “G” chromatic scale: G, G#/Ab, A, A#/Bb, B, C, C#/Db, D,
D#/Eb, E, F, F#/Gb, G

(a) Notice how both scales contain exactly the same notes simply
starting from a different note.

(b) Remember there is no sharp or flat between the notes E & F or
B & C.

Applying the concept of the chromatic scale to the capo.

Step 1: select any chord shape you like … I’ll use “D” major
for our example

Step 2: using our chromatic scale pick a chord you don’t know or
have difficulty playing … let’s say “F” major.

Step: 3 using the chromatic scale count up the distance from the
chord you like (D major) to the chord you want to play (F major),
the distance is three.

D, D#/Eb, E, F.

D to D# or Eb is one.

Remember there are two possible names for the note D# it
also be named  Eb.

D#/Eb to E is two.

E to F is three.

This means that if we put our capo on the third fret (the
distance between D and F) and played the “D” chord we would be
automatically playing the chord of “F” using the exact same
finger formation for both chords.

Of course it’s not practical to move your capo all around the
guitar while you are playing a song, I’m simply using this as an
example of how you can change any nasty chord shape you are
having trouble playing into a chord shape you like.

Some more examples:

G chord shape with the capo on the 3rd fret produces a Bb chord.

D chord shape with the capo on the 1st fret produces a Eb chord

E chord shape with the capo on the 2nd fret produces a F# chord

G chord shape with the capo on the 4th fret produces a B chord

G chord shape with the capo on the 1st fret produces a Ab chord

Try working out the name of your favorite chord shape(s) when you
place the capo on a particular fret … it will improve you
knowledge of the guitar fretboard as will as give your music
theory a good work out.

From Mike Hayes – The Guitar Coaching Guy & the Express Guitar System

https://www.GuitarCoaching.com
https://AdvancingGuitaristProgram.com