Guitar capos and clamps explained

A capo is a small device that fits in the palm of your hand and is designed to clamp down on the strings on the guitar fretboard. This is why you might sometimes see a capo called a guitar clamp. A capo shrinks the area you can play on and raises the pitch of the music.

In a way, the capo is similar to the nut of the guitar. The nut, located on the headstock, dictates where the playable area of the strings ends and where the vibrations stop. In other words, a capo acts as a sort of moveable nut, clamping down on the strings to shorten the section you can play on.

By using a capo, you can change the key of the music you play. This means that you can use the same chord shapes you have learned higher up on the fretboard. The chords will sound different, but the chord progressions you have learned will still work. In essence, playing with a capo is simply transposing the music to another key.

A guitar capo serves a similar purpose as your finger does when playing barre chords. The shape of a barre chord requires you to press a finger across the fretboard. In a way, this serves the same purpose as a capo, as it also frets multiple strings simultaneously.