Hi JAB, You have it exactly right. Capo on the third fret for a C or G tuning. I have my little model railroad ties (screws for fretting the fifth string) at the 13th and 18th fret. I used to use a sliding 5th string capo but after I frailed so hard, I would knock the string out from under the tie. A disadvantage with both the sliding capo and the model railroad ties (or screws) is that you can't fret the fifth string above the fifth peg without interference with the screw (tie) or capo. There are some traditional pieces that call for the fretting of the fifth string and bluegrassers use it on their Mastertones etc. all the time. You have to find the right keys so that the screws don't interfere. (This would be for clawhammer style playing).

So the tunings for a long neck five from first fret capoed up to the seventh would be E: eBEG#B (open); F: fCFAC (capo first fret) F#: f#C#F#A#C# (capo second fret;G: gDGBD (capo 3rd fret); G#: g#G#D#G#B# (fourth fret); A: aEAC#E (fifth fret) A#: a#E#A#C(double#)E# (It's best to think of this in Bb: bbFBbF (capo sixth fret), bF#BD#F# (seventh fret).

The only point in knowing what actual notes these are is if you are tuning to a piano. Otherwise for a banjo picker it's just better to think in G tuning.

The C tuning is the same principle but the fourth string note changes because it's tuned down a major second. In this tuning the fourth string is the key note.

A; Open fourth A# or Bb (first fret) B (second fret) C (third fret) C# (fourth fret) D (fifth fret) Eb (sixth) E (seventh). The other notes on string 3,2,1 are the same as in the G tuning.

I hope this is clear. It gets muddy when you try to talk about music without being shown something.

Frank