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A capo ( or ; short for ''capo d'astro'', ''capo tasto'' or ''capotasto'' (:kapoˈtasto), Italian for "head of fretboard"; Spanish, '' capodastro'' (:ka.po'ðas.tɾo)) is a device used on the neck of a stringed (typically fretted) instrument to shorten the playable length of the strings, hence raising the pitch. It is frequently used on guitars, mandolins, and banjos. The word derives from the Italian "capotasto" which means the "nut" of a stringed instrument. The earliest known use of the term "capotasto" is by Giovanni Battista Doni who, in his ''Annotazioni'' of 1640, uses it to describe the nut of a viola da gamba.〔Doni, Giovanni Battista (1640) (''Annotazioni sopral il compendio de’ generi, e de’ modi della musica'' ), p. 29, Rome, Andrea Fei, (facsimile) accessed 12/23/14〕 The first patented capo was designed by James Ashborn of Walcottville, Connecticut, USA.〔(History of the Guitar Capo ), theguitarcapo.com (accessed 02/27/15)〕 Musicians commonly use a capo to raise the pitch of a fretted instrument so they can play in a different key using the same fingerings as playing ''open'' (i.e., without a capo). In effect, a capo uses a fret of an instrument to create a new nut at a higher note than the instrument's actual nut. There are several different capo designs, but most commercial capos consist of a rubber-covered bar that clamps to the instrument's neck in some way to hold down the strings. Capos come in different sizes and shapes for different instruments and fretboard curvatures. The most relevant mechanical factors that vary by type of capo are ease of use, size, degree of interference with the player's hands, and ability to hold down strings uniformly without affecting tuning. All types of capo should be applied after a fresh tuning by laying the barre, descending from above, and directly behind the fret, so that all of the strings have uniform position and pressure. If the strings are bent or mispositioned, the instrument will sound out of tune in the new key. Some types of capo can marr the neck of the guitar if applied incorrectly. Musicians use capos on many stringed instruments: guitars, mandolins, mandolas, banjos, bouzoukis—virtually any instrument that has strings suspended over a fretted fingerboard. Capos exist for square-necked resonator guitars, some of which do not contact the neck, but clamp above and below the strings. ==Use== Song arrangements often cite capo position, just as they cite alternate tunings. When referencing fingerings for a song that uses a capo, the player must determine whether the chart references absolute finger positions, or positions relative to the capo. For example, in tablature, a note played on the fifth fret of an instrument capoed at the second fret can be listed as "5" (absolute) or "3" (relative to capo). Similarly, a D-shaped chord can be referred to as "D" (based on the shape relative to the capo), or E (based on the absolute audible chord produced). Neither method strongly prevails over the other. For this reason, the phrase "chord-shape" is commonly used to clarify that the fingering shape and not the audible pitch is being referred to. With this concept in mind, if two players wish to play a chord progression with a more harmonious effect, one can play first position chord-shapes while the second player, placing the capo further up the fretboard, plays first or second inversions of the same chord progression using familiar chord-shapes. In this manner, the two guitars create a fuller sound than they would playing in unison. For example, if they play a simple I IV V chord progression together in E the first guitarist plays E A B7 while the second plays the same progression capoed at the 4th fret using C F G7 chord-shapes. Playing with a capo creates the same musical effect as retuning all strings up the same number of steps. However, using a capo only affects the open note of each string. Every other fret remains unaffected (e.g., the 7th fret of an E-string still plays a B note for any capo position at or below the 7th fret), and thus a performer does not need to adjust for or relearn the entire fretboard as they might with retuning. The scale length of the strings of an instrument affects the timbre of the strings, and thus the use of a capo may alter the tone of the instrument. Musicians also use capos to bring a guitar tuned below standard up to standard tuning. Manufacturers sometimes recommend tuning a twelve-string guitar a whole-step or more below standard to offset the additional stress of the additional strings. A capo can raise it to standard tuning. However, improved manufacturing techniques have allowed many modern 12-strings to be tuned to standard pitch. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Capo」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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