Gordon Lightfoot Forums - View Single Post - Guitarists: which songs does/did he play with capo in 3rd position?

jj · 09-27-2010, 07:18 AM

yeah mike, i drop my 6 a half tone so i can ply in Gb without having to capo up to 4th position while playing in D...if i try a whole tone i get some buzzing...i also like easing off strings cos i'm in a dry cool environment and all that tension has the neck eeking...i got rid of a Tak 12 for that reason but maybe i should have entirely tuned it down to D as you suggest

so, i get dropping down but not then offsetting with a capo, i'm not sure if you read that part of my reply

ie. so your hunch is that he would have a dedicated 12 dropped down a half or whole tone (-1 or -2) but then a capo would be place on to bring pitch back up and then some (+3)? (ie. drop one tone then put capo on 3rd position which net out to increasing the pitch by a half tone...why not just leave guitar in standard tuning and place capo in first position?)

a simpler example: drop the guitar a whole tone then place capo on second position (whole tone increase)...it nets out to no change in pitch so why bother? what i'm saying is i've never heard of mixing an overall dropped tuning of strings with capo use

anyhow, i've never heard CRT in any other key than F (capo 3rd fret meaning standard tuning of guitar where D chord formation is taken up to F)

i'm no guitar nut but i've love to browse that article: any online archive?

09-27-2010, 07:18 AM	#24
jj Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: ontario, canada Posts: 5,265	Re: Guitarists: which songs does/did he play with capo in 3rd position? yeah mike, i drop my 6 a half tone so i can ply in Gb without having to capo up to 4th position while playing in D...if i try a whole tone i get some buzzing...i also like easing off strings cos i'm in a dry cool environment and all that tension has the neck eeking...i got rid of a Tak 12 for that reason but maybe i should have entirely tuned it down to D as you suggest so, i get dropping down but not then offsetting with a capo, i'm not sure if you read that part of my reply ie. so your hunch is that he would have a dedicated 12 dropped down a half or whole tone (-1 or -2) but then a capo would be place on to bring pitch back up and then some (+3)? (ie. drop one tone then put capo on 3rd position which net out to increasing the pitch by a half tone...why not just leave guitar in standard tuning and place capo in first position?) a simpler example: drop the guitar a whole tone then place capo on second position (whole tone increase)...it nets out to no change in pitch so why bother? what i'm saying is i've never heard of mixing an overall dropped tuning of strings with capo use anyhow, i've never heard CRT in any other key than F (capo 3rd fret meaning standard tuning of guitar where D chord formation is taken up to F) i'm no guitar nut but i've love to browse that article: any online archive?