How does my capo change my key

Subject: RE: Tech: How does my capo change my key
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 11:30 AM

Not from me Noreen!

Subject: RE: Tech: How does my capo change my key
From: Noreen
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 11:04 AM

A# being the same as Bb (Bflat)
Eb being the same as D#
Ab being the same as G#

etc.
This is where I get accused of being patronising... but I'd rather go back to basics than miss something out.

Subject: RE: Tech: How does my capo change my key
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 10:47 AM

This may help - it's what I use at folkinfo to try to assist people when using our transpose thing. In your case, just find your starting key, e.g to use what Noreen said find G and if you move up 2 frets, move 2 to the right.

A, Bb, B, C, C#, D, Eb, E, F, F#, G, Ab, A, Bb, B, C, C#, D, Eb, E, F, F#, G, Ab, A

Subject: RE: Tech: How does my capo change my key
From: M.Ted
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 10:43 AM

Basically, the capo raises the key by however many frets you've capo'ed up--say you are playing in E--Capo on the first fret means your playing in F, on the third fret, you're in G, on the fifth, you're in A--Playing in D, first fret is Eb, third is F, fifth is G--

Part of learning to play the guitar is knowing the key you are in, all the time- you need to do is to sit down, before you play with people, and work out what keys are where--It is just as important as any of the other practicing that you do--

Subject: RE: Tech: How does my capo change my key
From: Noreen
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 10:39 AM

...because there are two semitones between G and A
i.e. there's a semitone between G and G# then a semitone between G# and A.

Semitones:
G G# A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G

Does that make sense?

Subject: RE: Tech: How does my capo change my key
From: GUEST,mink
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 10:36 AM

The capo just raises the tone by the number of frets you position it at. And each fret raises the tone by one semitone.

Hence - if you play a C chord without capo, then the same shape chord with capo at fret 1 makes it a C#, at 2nd fret it is D and so on.

Similarly, because all the notes are raised by a semitone per fret then it follows that the same applies to the key. So a song in C when played open is in D if capo at 2nd fret, is in E if capo at 4th fret, and is in F if capo at 5th fret.

Subject: RE: Tech: How does my capo change my key
From: Noreen
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 10:33 AM

Each fretmoves the key up a semitone, Ian.
So playing in G (G shapes) with capo on 2nd fret will sound as the key of A.

Subject: Tech: How does my capo change my key
From: GUEST,IanN
Date: 17 Jul 03 - 10:25 AM

Advise please!

I need to know how my capo affects the key I play in. I often play with harmonica players who want to know what key I'm in. It's easy when I'm not using a capo but I've no idea how it works when I put the capo on. They usually work it out eventually but it would be nice to be able to tell them straight away.

Any advice?

Cheers, Ian.