It helps to have a capo on which the pressure can be adjusted, depending on the depth of the neck of the instrument and the height of the action, to squonch the strings down just enough to the firm contact with the fret, but no more. Shubb is one of the best for this.

I like a Shubb for playing where someone can actually hear the guitar, and a Keyser for loud jams at parties and festivals, etc., where no one will hear it if the pitch is off, but it's handy to be able to leave the capo on the headstock so you don't lose it.