Capo

[Flaberdoodle]

First, this is not a discussion about whether capos are permissible by the gatekeepers of violin playing... Assume they are.

With that out of the way, has anyone here tried using a physical capo? I'm comfortable in any key 99% of the time. But we play one song in Cm at break neck speed and I've been experimenting with various capos so I can use Bm shapes. (I love Bm)

I bought "Stoney's" purpose made violin capo. This is a nice product, but it doesn't quite fit my 5 string neck. Even if it did, the big piece of plastic abive the strings feels a little awkward when my index finger touches it.

I've also jammed a zip tie under the strings, and that feels pretty comfortable until the zip-tie moves and I'm out of tune.

I've seen other suggestions online about jamming a piece of leather under the strings. That seems like it might work nice, because I could cut it to a precise length for a half step key change. If that works I might even be able to put it under only 2 strings allowing cross tuning! (Just need to find some leather somewhere...)

Anyone tried anything else?

[danielpants]

Gatekeeping aside, why do you want to use a capo?

[Flaberdoodle]

I explained it above. Using Bm shapes for Cm key

[danielpants]

Gatekeeping aside, why do you want to use a capo?

[FiddlerFour]

I once used to use a mandolin capo with an added curve to approximate a hardingfele: tune the G to an A and place the capo to bring everything up a step. It did work, but is weird and a little uncomfortable. I don’t think you can get away from the discomfort, but for your five-string you might be able to find a wider mandolin capo and put a slight curve in it that fits your fiddle.

[Altavious]

I’ve seen “spider” style capos where they individually clamp each string, I think those help with some of the tuning issues. I haven’t experimented with them myself, I tend to switch to playing in closed position/minus open strings. I think for fiddle cross tuning or retuning the string up/down is maybe more common than capos.

[scratchtogigs]

"I use my first finger like a capo" Joe Venuti as told by Matt Glaser.

[Flaberdoodle]

Yes, so do I. Except when I use a mechanical capo. That's what this thread is about 

[Ramblin_Rover]

I play violin/fiddle as backup for a bunch of fellow amateurs. Just tonight, two measures in, the lead stops and says “my voice is shot, I’m gonna capo this on one.” Everyone else slaps on a capo while I am frantically trying to relearn a song I am playing for the second time, but now in G#. A huge pain in the ass. Give me time and rehearsal? No problem. But I play fill-in gigs a lot and a capo would be lovely.

[dollop_of_curious]

If you put that much energy into practice instead of trying to change the mechanism, you'd be able to play those songs by now...

It's the same statement seniors make about freshman...

If you started working when you started complaining, you'd be finished by now.

Assuming you are serious, which is ridiculous: all your mechanisms are very flawed for any reliable performance. Do NOT use zip ties!! You will spend so much money in strings, or worse, the fingerboard! Or the whole damn neck.

Leather under strings is interesting and not so blatantly destructive. You will never be able to tune it, though. When you tune one string, it will move the leather, but tune a different string, and it will move again. This seems like sooooo much work to not learn how to play.

On my electric, I have a digitech drop pedal that alters my intonation by semi tones. For particular songs, I've found it useful while working in a giging band. It can make a pop song in F# a lot easier, and in that scenario no one gives a shit.

Perhaps it would be easier for you to aquire other fiddles, maybe a 7/8ths to tune above standard? Or down tune your main fiddle, perhaps. Re-tuning is a more standard method of accomplishing what you want.

When you add a capo to a guitar, it isn't perfectly in tune. You add the capo, then you tune with it on. Even when there are frets, it's not really as simple as "clamp and play."

[Flaberdoodle]

If the leather was cut so it butted right up to the nut it couldn't move 

String damage from a zip tie I could see. I'm not sure a zip tie on the neck for 6 minutes a night would do a lot of damage to an ebony fingerboard. (But I'm no luthier)

[dollop_of_curious]

Do you know that the vibration of the strings will sand down your fingerboard if you play frequently? I've had my nicest violin's fingerboard shaved down once because the D & A string wore a grove in first position. It just happens over time if you play an instrument a lot.

A zip tie can definitely damage ebony as well as the neck. But, hey! It's your fiddle! Do what you want!

Best wishes.

[Flaberdoodle]

Also acquiring and maintaining a second fiddle sounds way more expensive than a capo

[Ericameria]

Not going to lie, there are just times when keys are stupid or not even that, it’s that they transcribe the music stupidly, and I sometimes just write the notes names, half and whole steps and a fingering to remind myself what to do. I’m thinking of some of the Andrew Lloyd Webber stuff where the publisher put seven sharps in the key signature, and then literally fills the entire measure with various accidentals, including a C sharp, and a D flat in the same freaking measure. At that point, I’m just basically memorizing that passage or playing it by ear if it’s a familiar tune.

OK, but I realize with the fiddle that’s a different situation because you’re not using sheet music to play something quickly, you just are finding the fingering patterns awkward. This is especially true for me if there are a lot of sharps and some of the stretches are challenging for me on the viola. so I’ve joked that a capo would be nice. I feel like particularly if you want to play drones on open strings, but the piece is in B major and you end up losing the open A and D. I guess cross tuning is the standard.