Why Does My Guitar Sound Out Of Tune When I Put A Capo On?

There are 6 reasons why your guitar sounds out of tune when you put on a capo. You should address these in order.

1) The Capo Might Not Be Pushing Down Evenly
2) The Strings Are Out Of Tune
3) The Capo Might Be On Too Tightly
4) You Might Be Using The Wrong Capo
5) The Strings Might Be Bad
6)The Frets On The Guitar Might Be Worn Down

So how do we go about fixing this so our guitar is in tune. Let’s figure out things to do for each of the reasons on our list.

1) THE CAPO MIGHT NOT BE PUSHING DOWN EVENLY

The capo can be a little off. All you need to do is level out the capo on the strings so that each string is getting equal pressure.

2) THE STRINGS ARE OUT OF TUNE

First thing is first, tune your guitar! Let’s tune our guitar even before we put the capo on. This will let us know if there is any else wrong: either with the guitar or the capo.

3) THE CAPO MIGHT BE ON TOO TIGHTLY

Putting a capo on too tightly will cause a lot of problems. The harder you push down on a string, the note being played goes slightly higher in pitch. With that being said, if you had a capo that was put on too tightly, your guitar will be in tune with itself but be out of tune with everyone else.

Another reasons not to put a capo on too tightly is that it can cause bumps on the strings to appear where the string is pushed against the fret. These bumps do not go away and will cause overall intonation problems. Your guitar will be in tune but when you start using your fingers to play, it will be slightly out of tune. At that point, there would be nothing else to do but to change your strings.

4) YOU MIGHT BE USING THE WRONG CAPO

Did you know that the type of capo you are using matters? If you have a capo that you can not choose how much it is pressing down on the strings, this might be the problem. There are different types of capos out there, some with the tension set by the manufacturer and some you can set yourself. I like to be able to set it myself. That is why I suggest the following two capos. They are build well over and the best part is that they have this feature where you can set the amount of tension.

Shubb S1 Stainless Steel Guitar Capo: https://amzn.to/32HczGs

G7th Performance 3 Capo with ART: https://amzn.to/2IeEzrD

I wrote a post explaining all the different types of capos. It’s a guide to all the pros and cons of each type along with a comparison chart. Check the post out here to see which one you have!!!

5) THE STRINGS MIGHT BE BAD

This is all about the the condition of your strings. One example is the bumps on the strings. In addition to being caused by putting your capo on too tightly, you can cause bumps to appear just by the natural wear and tear of playing guitar with your fingers. The following are the 7 signs of wear and tear on your strings. They all in different ways contribute to your guitar not sounding its best.

Bumps On The Strings: If the bumps are big enough or you have a lot of them, it will cause your guitar to sound out of tune. Even though your strings are in tune, when not using your fingers, when you go to use your fingers the note being played will be slightly out of tune.
Dark Colored Strings: Build up of this will cause a very small amount of the strings sounding muffled, muted, or dull. It is more so that they just look old. But, at the same time, it is definitely a good indication that the strings are past their prime and will need to be changed in the not too distant future.
Rusty Feel To The Strings: The build up of rust on the string prevents the string from vibrating the way it should. This will cause your strings to sound dull. Also, because of the nature of rust (which pretty much eats away at the metal) your strings will be that much closer to breaking.
Dull Sounding Strings: Strings will lose some of the “brightness” or “crispness” of their sound. When playing songs that you play a lot, you will notice that they do not sound as good as it should.
Breaks In The String: The sound of the string can get muffled because part of the string is not completely together. And of course one strum too many on the weakened string and the string will snap in half! This is the main reason for changing the string with a break in it. You definitely will not want the string to break in the middle of a performance.
Strings That Are Hard To Tune: When a string gets really old and really bad, the string will create a very odd metal buzzing sound. It also becomes extremely hard to tune. What is happening is that the note of your string is actually splitting into two notes!
Strings That Are Shedding: The coating that is hanging off of the string will stop the string from vibrating to the best of its ability. This of course makes it sound more dull.

I wrote a post with more about these signs: why they happen, what do they do, and how to check for them. Check it out here!!!

6) THE FRETS MIGHT BE WORN DOWN
Sometimes the frets on your guitar might be worn down from years of playing. What happens is that the strings rubs up against the fret bar and slowly wear them down. If you do a lot of bending while you play or you tend to push down a little hard than you should, this will cause the frets to wear faster.

If this is the case, you will need to have your guitar re-fretted, which is a pretty big project. You will more likely want to get it done at a local guitar shop.

Posted by Gregg Gascon

musician, singer/songwriter, & teacher