Capoing; How high is it reasonable to go before you should transpose the piece into a different key?

[michelew]

I've finally decided to learn Hallelujah. I've almost got in down in the key of G using Neil's tab of the standard version. Today I started trying to sing it and found that I'm constantly singing in a falsetto and that it is either too low or too high for me to remain in this key - which gets pretty ridiculous about the B7/D# and later portion of the verse. I've tried using the capo and found that I was most comfortable around the key of D and that C was OK.

Alright I can hear you all already - so just learn the C version capoed to D (or transpose it) . Well I'm doing that (C caposed to D) and while it will take longer to nail it now it should be OK, but might not sound as nice; we'll see.

Anyway it got me to wondering, is there a rule of thumb that says something like 'if you need to go past fret [insert magic number] (e.g. 7) forget it Freddie you really should just bite the bullet and transpose it into a different key'??


I realise that transposing it into another key is good practice anyway, but I'm interested to see whether there is any such logic. Past fret 7 it is starting to sound high and tinny anyway.

Thought? Answers?

Thanks

Michele

[reiver]

Michelle

To me it depends on a few things; i) how well your guitar stays in tune as you move up the neck, ii) what kind of effect you're trying to achieve.

I wouldn't go beyond the 5th fret unless I was actually looking for that higher pitched ukelele/mandolin type effect.

r

[michelew]

Thanks Stuart - good consideration.

[willem]

Michelle, when you surching to a key that is comfort for you to sing go not further then 3 half steps down or up from the orginail key...i learned that from a singer,,you stay close as possiblle with the orginal...cheeeesse. want to hear you sing

[michelew]

Thanks Wilem. Is there a reason behind that advice?

[willem]

Personally I'd go with five. I agree that beyond that you change the character of the instrument and you begin to get a mandolin sound.

Now a capo at seven or beyond can come in handy when you are playing along with another uncapo'd instrument in a different key. It's a great thing to do when you have too many guitars playing at once.

[willem]

michelew wrote:

Thanks Wilem. Is there a reason behind that advice?

Michelle, i think for my self the song dissapears(or sounded like something else) when you go to for away from the original.

ps when you go to a other key you can alway's chose for the high or low octaaf, also for some notes,,i mean.. when a note is to high,for example a high D,you can sing that D note down..(it stay's a D you know))

[BigBear]

Michele- as usual, Doc is right on the mark. But you know from Scarborough Fair that capoing at the 7th fret is pretty common. Paul Simon loved playing that high because he has very small hands and I assume liked that unique sound.

The 7th fret is the second harmonic so that would seem to be a reasonable "last" place to capo. The 5th fret is the third harmonic and really the last practical place to capo for most songs and singing along.

:cheer:

[mattroutley]

i'm currently learning a song by one of my favourite artists and its capo'd on the 8th!!

PS, its newton faulkner - ageing superhero

[Moondog]

The farthest I go is the 7th
I Capo it there for the rhythm of Hotel California, and 1 other song that escapes me now.


Mike