Any jazz players use a capo?

[mr. beaumont]

What bores me is an hour of solo guitar with the same tone on every tune.

[Zigracer]

Well, I've come to this crossroad: Although I use a capo judiciously in my pop/rock duo and solo act, I've avoided the capo for jazz. I am however embarking on two new projects. One is a solo act where I'll play standards, love songs and ballads using either my seven string or six string jazz guitar, depending on the tune. Most of the songs will have me carrying the melody vocally, but I'll do a few chord melody and some single note melody where I play over the comping that I just looped. I am also working with a bass player who also sings and plays flute and we'll do a similar act.

I'll include some tunes that are not quite out of the Great American Songbook, but are almost standards by now, including Crazy and Can't Help Falling In Love With You. I do the Can't help Falling in my solo pop act in Eb, but using mostly open 1st position chords with a capo on the third fret and fingerpicking. I need to move the song up to Eb because of my vocal range. I can't at all find a voicing in Eb that is true enough to the original without being a bear to play using just a ton of barre chords. Substituting Maj 7 or 6/9 chords just doesn't sound right to my ears, so for this tune I'll use the capo - that is unless someone has any suggestions.

[ragman1]

Nothing wrong with using capos. They're a tool, that's all, like picks, loopers, pedals, bits of card, or anything else. The point's the music, how you get there doesn't matter. Saying 'Jazz players don't use capos, we play in all keys without them' is just snobbery and prejudice. Fact is, it's just easier to play in all keys with a free fretboard.

That said, I did know someone once who always used a capo because he couldn't play without one. That's a different matter. That's called being useless :-)

You can get partial capos too, for interesting effects.

[guavajelly]

I used a capo when we were comping for a singer. Our drummer called me “Du Opfer” when I pulled it out of my pocket. But that guy is drawing penisses on my sheets too.

[ragman1]

[Jim Soloway]

I haven't used one since I was a teenager, mostly because I hate counting on things that I'm almost certainly going to lose but this thread (and watching a lot of flamenco videos) has got me interested. I may give it a try just to see if it inspires anything new.

[ragman1]

I hate counting on things that I'm almost certainly going to lose

Hilarious!

[kris]

A capo can be a good luthier tool to help you set up your guitar's neck.

[WilliamScott]

One capo that definitely has jazz applications is the spider capo. With it one can play chords with voicings that are otherwise unplayable. I enjoy playing with it occasionally just to hear myself playing things I've never heard before (coming out of my guitar, that is).

[MarkRhodes]

One capo that definitely has jazz applications is the spider capo. With it one can play chords with voicings that are otherwise unplayable. I enjoy playing with it occasionally just to hear myself playing things I've never heard before (coming out of my guitar, that is).

I ordered a Spider capo. Want to see what kind of noise I can make with it.

I haven't used a capo for jazz but they're handy for songwriting and singing.

[Litterick]

I found one in my guitar's case. I don't know how it got there.

[WilliamScott]

I found one in my guitar's case. I don't know how it got there.

Right next to a single sock.