My ensemble wants to play Silent Night in B flat. (And they want to sing it in German, too, :roll: ) It's not a key I'm good at on guitar. Where would I put the capo if I want to use key of C chording? Is there a better choice? Capo use has always confused me a bit, even after skimming over Hodges GN article. I haven't visited here in a long time. I got a hammered dulcimer last xmas and have been focusing on that. But I still play some basic, rythym guitar.
Peace & harmony.
Why not put the capo on the third fret and then play the chords for the song in the key of G?
Here's the chords for playing it in G:
Now when you play with the capo on the third fret, the song will sound in the key of Bb even though you're playing it in G.
Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon
The rule of thumb is: capo up, chord down.
You're in Bb to start with - primary chords Bb, Eb, and F.
If you go up one fret with the capo, the chords move down one - to A, D, and E.
Move up 3 = G, C, D
Move up 5 - F, Bb, C
Move up 6 = E, A, B
etc. - just pick the chords you want. keeping the C fingering would be tough, because you'd have to capo at 10... probably sound more like a mandolin than a guitar at that point :)
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Thanks for that simple & understandable explanation, Noteboat. I should be able to remember that phrase but perhaps I'll save it somewhere just in case.
The rule of thumb is: capo up, chord down.
You're in Bb to start with - primary chords Bb, Eb, and F.
If you go up one fret with the capo, the chords move down one - to A, D, and E.
Move up 3 = G, C, D
Move up 5 - F, Bb, C
Move up 6 = E, A, B
etc. - just pick the chords you want. keeping the C fingering would be tough, because you'd have to capo at 10... probably sound more like a mandolin than a guitar at that point :)
So in your first example your using the first position fingerings for A,D, and E to get Bb, Eb, and F?
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Yes, exactly. You've moved the capo to the first fret, so all the chords move down a half step - Bb becomes A, etc.
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