PLAYING THE PART

TWO COOL KYSER QUICK-CHANGE PARTIAL CAPOS

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DROP-D CAPO

As its name describes, this neat invention (pictured far right) covers the guitar’s top five strings only, allowing the player to conveniently achieve a de facto “drop-D tuning,” transposed up a whole step (low to high: E, B, E, A, C#, F#), by placing the capo behind the 2nd fret. What’s cool about this is that you can play a big, grand-sounding six-string open D (or Dm) chord shape with a deep, octave-lower bass note, then switch to a full open G chord shape using its conventional standard-tuning grip, without having to finger the 6th-string note up two frets, as you would otherwise need to do in actual drop-D tuning. And to play an open E or Em chord, simply form the chord shape with your middle and ring fingers and/or pinkie while adding your index finger on the low E string at the