stupid capo

[dubstyle5000]

Can anybody clear up what the term "chords are relative to the capo" means?

[apl]

Maybe they tell you to put the capo on the second fret, then play a G chord "relative to the capo." The chord would be fingered like a G but actually be an A.

[tourettes5139]

Yup. (characters)

[FunkDaddy]

Originally Posted by dubstyle5000

Can anybody clear up what the term "chords are relative to the capo" means?

Basically, whatever fret is capo'ed is the new nut of the guitar. A G chord relative to the capo would be formed at the 3rd fret from the capo.

[dubstyle5000]

That's pretty much what I figured but I still can't get this one song to sound right. Must be a bad tab. Imagine that. Thanks as always guys.

[RezN8]

Look at the beginning of the piece of music to find out what fret the capo should be on. If the capo is on the 3rd fret for instance, and the chord says Am, it's actually Cm, but you play it just like an Am, only with the capo on the third fret.

Did that make sense? I just talked in circles, gotta lay off the Java .

[FunkDaddy]

Originally Posted by dubstyle5000

That's pretty much what I figured but I still can't get this one song to sound right. Must be a bad tab. Imagine that. Thanks as always guys.

Where's the capo? Might have to retune the guitar.

[dubstyle5000]

Yeah, that's where I'm getting really confused. I don't use capos ever, and for this purpose, I'm trying to figure out a bass line, not a guitar part. The song is in open D and the chords are C, Em, G, C. Should I just be playing those exact notes on the bass? I'm all mixed up and prob thinking way too hard about it. The thing is, it's a hard song to really hear the guitar, and there's a backing orchestra so even though the progression is simple, it's hard to tell if I'm accurate. Make sense?

[dubstyle5000]

BTW, the capo is on the 2nd fret.

[apl]

Originally Posted by dubstyle5000

The song is in open D and the chords are C, Em, G, C.

So tune the guitar to open D, and put the capo where?

[dubstyle5000]

Yeah, 2nd fret.

Here's the song if that makes it easier...

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/...my_own_crd.htm

I want to be clear that this song is not my choice, but my singer loves it so I have no say.

[apl]

Well, the open D drops the E string two frets and the capo raises it two frets. Try playing the notes as listed with the bass in normal E tuning.

[up-fiddler]

Try playing D, F#m, A, and D. I think you'll like what you hear.

[dubstyle5000]

You got it Up-Fiddler. Everything is up one whole step. Not sure why but I'm happy. An explanation might be a good discussion for us noobs.

[IronFlippy]

All he did was transcribe it up a whole step. The C chord that the tabber listed as 3 0 2 3 is relative to the capo. So the actual notes you are hearing form a D chord. The actual frets would be 5 2 4 5, with the capo at the 2nd fret. Or the tabber screwed up. I haven't listened to the song.

[famous beagle]

Originally Posted by IronFlippy

All he did was transcribe it up a whole step. The C chord that the tabber listed as 3 0 2 3 is relative to the capo. So the actual notes you are hearing form a D chord. The actual frets would be 5 2 4 5, with the capo at the 2nd fret. Or the tabber screwed up. I haven't listened to the song.

<transpose> it up a whole step.

To transcribe is to write something down from a recording.

[up-fiddler]

Actually I just listened to the clip and heard that it was in the key of D. I thought he wanted the chords rather than the explanation. My bad.