Capo tasto
Capo, a clamp on the guitar.
What it means
Kapotaster is the German designation for the capo tasto: a clamp that is stretched across the fingerboard and presses down all the strings behind a particular fret. It acts like a movable nut and raises the sounding pitch of all the strings evenly — at the second fret by a whole tone, at the fifth by a perfect fourth. Common are models with spring tension, with a screw, or with a rubber band; they differ in how precisely the pressing force can be regulated.
Musical use
The capo makes it possible to keep practised chord shapes and yet play in another key. This is decisive in accompanying singing, because the key must follow the vocal range, not the convenience of the hand. At the same time it is a means of sound: with the capo the characteristic open grips with open strings are preserved, and the instrument sounds brighter and shorter in a higher register. If two guitars play the same piece, one with and one without a capo, different positions of the same chord result and thereby a transparent, fanned-out overall sound.
Other names
Capo tasto, shortened capo, is the Italian form, literally head of the fingerboard. On song sheets, “Capo 3” often stands for the clamp at the third fret.
Performance practice
Place the capo tasto close behind the fret wire and press it only firmly enough that all the strings sound cleanly; too much tension pulls the notes upward. Afterwards check every string individually and retune if necessary, especially in high fret positions. For communication with fellow players, remember both the grip name and the sounding key, and name the sounding one when announcing. Take the capo off after playing so that neck and strings are not permanently strained. With instruments with an arched fingerboard, a model whose contact surface follows the arch is worthwhile.
Remember that the capo tasto slightly increases the string tension and thereby pulls all the notes upward: check with a tuner after putting it on and correct instead of relying on the ear alone. With an arched fingerboard a model with a matching contact surface is necessary, otherwise the outer strings sound unclean. For fast changes between pieces, a model that can be moved with one hand is worthwhile. Do not keep the capo permanently tensioned on the neck.