A guitar capo is one of the simplest, most beginner-friendly tools you can own as a new guitarist because it has the power to instantly make hard songs that much easier to play!
When I started learning guitar again as an adult, I was blown away by how this simple tool opened up the doors to thousands of new songs and I’m really excited to share how to use it and my top picks for beginners in this post today.
If you’ve been wondering:
- What is a guitar capo?
- What does a capo do?
- Do I really need one?
I’ll break it all down in a super simple way below – let’s get started.
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What Is a Guitar Capo?
A capo is a small clamp that attaches to the neck of your guitar and presses down all six strings at once.
That’s it!
When you clip it onto the fretboard of your guitar, it raises the pitch of every string evenly which allows you to:
- Change keys instantly
- Use easier chord shapes (like G, C, D, E, and A)
- Play more songs with chords you already know!
While some songs are traditionally played with bar chords, popping a capo onto your guitar allows you to use simpler shapes and will seriously boost your confidence as a beginner.
Instead of playing the same songs you hear over again and oven again, you’ll be able to choose from a wider array of more interesting options – and play them in the right key!
Capos work on both acoustic and electric guitars, and most capos cost only between $10 and $25 – which makes it one of the most affordable “game changer” accessories you can buy.
This is always one of the first tools that I recommend to beginners.
What Does a Capo Do on a Guitar?
When you place a capo on a fret, it essentially becomes your new “starting point” – think of it as the new “top” of your guitar. The nut!
For example, if you put a capo on the 2nd fret of your guitar and play a G chord shape, you’re actually now playing an A chord.
But you didn’t change your fingers or need to learn a (rather difficult!) new chord shape.
You just moved the key up two steps!
A capo is incredibly helpful when:
- A song is too high or too low for your voice
- The song includes difficult barre chords
- You’re following along with a worship team or band
Instead of learning complicated new shapes, you can focus on the song at hand and simply use the chords you already know to learn it from start to finish!
And as I said, this builds confidence in beginners fast.
More Guitar Tips:
- 7 Basic Guitar Chords for Beginners: Unlock Hundreds of Songs with These Essentials
- The Best Way to Learn Guitar at Any Age: What I Did + How I Taught My Kids
- 60 Easiest Guitar Songs (Using Just 2 or 3 Chords!)
- How to Choose the Best Beginner Electric Guitar
- 25 Easy Worship Songs on Guitar (For Adult Beginners & Kids)
Balancing Learning and Fun When You’re New to Guitar
To really make progress on the guitar, you need to balance learning and fun!
You can’t just do lessons and work on theory 100% of the time – but that doesn’t mean you should be noodling 100% of the time either.
Learning new songs from start to finish should be a priority during your practice sessions because that mastery will build confidence and keep you motivated to continue playing longterm.
From my experience, I’ve seen a lot of beginners quit or become stunted in their progress because they don’t structure their practice sessions.
Aim for something familiar, something you’re working on, and something challenging.
For example, this could be: learning to simultaneously strum and sing Bye Bye Love (D, A, and E7 chords), then working on your G major scale, followed by a new fingerpicking pattern.
A capo makes practice sessions so much more fun because it opens the door to songs that are otherwise challenging without it.
Trust me – nothing can kill your confidence level more as a beginner than than playing your first barre chords.
But that said, you should still practice learning to fret them during those “something challenging” segments of your practice!
For everything else, there’s a capo, haha.
Why Beginners Love Using a Capo
I truly believe every new guitarist should own one.
Here’s why:
1. You Can Skip Barre Chords (For Now!)
Barre chords are important but they are not fun in your first few weeks of learning.
In fact, when you first start playing them, you might even wonder if guitar is really for you (ok, unless maybe that was just me 4 years ago, haha) .
Remember the first time you fretted a chord?
Imagine doing that but make it 5 times harder – and buzzy.
With a capo, you can often avoid them entirely and use open chords for the songs you want to learn while you keep practicing proper barre chord technique and transitions in the mean time.
2. You Can Play More Songs Immediately
Let’s be honest – as beginners, small wins are important.
You need to feel like you’re making progress to stay motivated otherwise you’ll reach for your guitar less and less – this is what happened to me when I was a teenager and eventually, I just stopped playing!
And honestly barre chords had a lot to do with this, lol – all of my favorite bands were alternative rock at the time and I was teaching myself how to play guitar at home using my mom’s old books.
If you know G, C, D, and Em, adding a capo opens up hundreds of new songs.
And this is huge for motivation – especially for kids and adults learning together.
3. It Makes You Sound Better Right Away
When songs fit your voice better, you’ll naturally sound stronger and more confident singing them.
Adding singing to your guitar sessions will keep you coming back to practice more too – and its another fun hobby and skill you can learn to grow too!
Where Do You Put a Capo on a Guitar?
Here’s how to place a capo on your guitar correctly:
- Position your capo just behind the fret (not directly on top of it)
- Make sure it presses evenly across all strings (you want it to be straight across, not slanted and no strings pulled over the one side).
- Strum once and check for buzzing to make sure its even (if its not, open it up again widely and release slowly in an optimal position)
- Once you’re ready to go, retune slightly if needed. That’s it!
If you place your capo too far from the fret, your strings might buzz.
If you clamp too hard, your guitar can go slightly sharp.
It takes about 10 seconds to get it right and it gets easier every time you use it!
Types of Guitar Capos
There are a few different types of capos but beginners don’t need to worry about getting anything fancy. Here are three of the most common styles.
1. Trigger Capo (Best for Beginners)
This is the most popular and easiest capo to use because of its:
- One-handed operation
- Quick key changes
- Great for beginners
I’ve had Dunlop, Ernie Ball, and Kyser capos.
I really like this one and have both the 12 and 6 string versions but I started with an Ernie Ball because it was less expensive and ended up being my go to as a beginner guitarist.
Both are great for quick capo position changes (and you only need one hand to move it) but the springs are better in the Kyser and I think it’ll last longer overall, but the Ernie Ball is great for those on a budget.
2. Adjustable Screw Capo
An adjustable screw capo allows you to control the tension more precisely.
This capo is my go to today because of the adjustable tension control – and it even works well on some of my 12 string guitars.
Its super sleek and hardly noticeable when you’re playing – I found that some trigger capos threw my guitar off balance and I didn’t like the length of the gripping points.
The only downside is that you need two hands to switch the position of the capo.
3. U-Shaped Capo
These are crazy expensive but they’re great for performing!
When you’re not using it, it can be moved up to the nut and remain there on stand by until you play another song that requires it.
These capos also have great tuning accuracy so you usually don’t have to tune much when you change frets.
But they’re much more advanced and not necessary when you’re just starting out!
Do You Really Need a Capo?
Technically? No.
Practically? I highly recommend it – its one of the first things I also recommend to new students.
Capos are inexpensive and will expand your song options dramatically from the start!
This helps beginners avoid frustration and actually play the music they enjoy instead of learning songs because someone recommended it.
Music is such a personal thing and being able to play what you want absolutely makes a difference.
When I started playing guitar again, I didn’t want to learn American Pie or other common campfire songs – this didn’t get me excited about playing.
Getting a capo changed everything for me this time around and is honestly, one of the things I attribute to my success as a guitarist to today.
Now I’m teaching my kids, other people’s kids, and even adults, haha.
Capos are great for new guitarists who are eager to learn.
Beginner guitarists who are stuck in a rut.
And even moms who’ve picked up guitar as a hobby and need a break during a long homeschool day – ask me how I know, lol!
They also make homeschool music lessons more fun for moms and dads who are teaching their kids to play.
In my opinion, it belongs in every beginner guitar kit alongside:
- A clip-on tuner (I have this one)
- Picks (I always recommend these ones for beginners – this size isn’t too thin or too thick so they’re perfect when you’re still new to guitar)
- A simple chord chart (you can download mine for free)
Best Capo for Beginners
Here’s how I’d break it down.
- Best Overall: Kyser capo (comes in cute colors like rose gold and is super beginner friendly)
- Lightweight Option: Shubb C4 (this is what I use today and I can’t see myself switching out to another one anytime soon)
- Budget-Friendly Option: If the Kyser is out of your price range right now, this Ernie Ball is a great affordable option that works well!
More Music Ideas for Families:
- The Easiest Instrument to Learn: Complete Beginners Guide
- 60 Most Inspiring Music Quotes for Students, Teachers, and New Musicians
- How to Create an Inspiring Music Room that Makes You Want to Play More Often
Frequently Asked Questions
Do capos damage guitars?
Not if you use them properly.
Just avoid clamping it excessively tight and remove it when you’re done playing!
And whatever you do, do not place it on the head of your guitar – its understandable for guitarists who are performing live and don’t have a music stand to attach it to between songs, but if you’re at home, don’t take a chance.
This can cause permanent damage to your instrument through either scratching it or causing the color to fade and will affect the resale value if you choose to sell your guitar later on – we passed on a beautiful 12 string guitar because someone did this and damaged the head.
Do you have to retune after putting on a capo?
Sometimes just slightly.
It really depends on your guitar and the capo tension!
Can you use a capo on electric guitar?
Yes! Capos work on both acoustic and electric guitars.
And you don’t need a specific capo for either your acoustic or electric, you can use the same capo for both types of guitars.
Can kids use a capo?
Absolutely – and it often makes learning easier because they can avoid more difficult chords at first.
I usually start kids with an Em chord as well as G6, Cmaj7, and D chords because they’re easier to play than G, C, and D.
Kids usually don’t have a problem figuring out where the new “starting point” of their guitar is after adding this thing to it – they get excited about the new songs they can play.
Beginner Song Suggestion: Stand By Me is a great song that you can play with a Capo on the second fret using just G, Em, C, and D chords.
Simply strum 4 times on your G and Em chords, and then 2 times on your C and D chords to start hearing the melody and repeat again and again while you sing along!
Final Thoughts: A Capo is a Small Tool That Makes a Big Difference
A capo might look small, but it opens up a whole world of music.
Whether you’re learning guitar as an adult or teaching your kids – or homeschooling and adding music to your day.
This little clip can remove frustration and add excitement almost instantly!
Be sure to check out more guitar tips for new musicians and homeschool families in the music category of my blog and download the free printables for use around your home.
You don’t need fancier guitar to become a better guitar player.
The ability to play songs that actually bring you joy and a structured practice routine makes all the difference!
I hope you found this post helpful and would love to hear what songs you want to learn how to play in the comments below.
Happy strumming, friend!
– Nikki
