A capo is a device you clamp onto the fingerboard of a guitar or a similar instrument to hold several strings down at once. It raises the actual pitch while keeping the ring of the open strings.
The basic idea
The same chord shape gives you a different key depending on where the capo sits. You can match a comfortable vocal range, or make use of bright open-string sounds.
How to use it when playing and programming
Check the key of the song and the singer’s range, then try different capo positions. In computer-based production you can get close to that sound by adjusting the chord voicings and the pitch of a guitar library.
How it differs from related terms
A capo raises the key physically. Open tuning changes how the strings themselves are tuned.
Before reaching for harder chords, consider using a capo to find easier shapes.
