The E-Minus Effect
BY HARVEY REID
One of the pioneers of the partial capo, Harvey
Reid has been at the forefront of folk guitar
since the late ’70s. He even wrote the first
college textbook on the subject, Modern Folk
Guitar (Random House). His latest album,
Capo Voodoo, is a collection of arrangements
and originals that showcase his inventive use
of partial capos. For more information, visit
woodpecker.com
CHOPS: Intermediate
THEORY: Beginner
LESSON OVERVIEW:
• Learn how partial capos differ
from using altered tunings
• Combine open tunings with
partial capos
• Understand the “E-minus” effect
Click here to hear sound
clips and download the
full arrangement.
Guitarists have been experimenting with different tunings since before
the age of modern guitars. Players of
all levels, cultures, and styles have used
a surprising number of tunings to expand
the possibilities of their instruments. The
new options in chords and scales, together
with new resonances and droning open
strings have been enchanting, confusing,
and mystifying millions of guitarists
for centuries.
Equally mystifying is why the “mir-
ror image” idea of the partial capo hasn’t
taken hold. As early as 1799, a few
instrument makers in Europe were tinker-
ing with the idea of using strings of dif-
ferent lengths on a fretboard and building
partial capos into some odd instruments.
The 5-string banjo is the only common
fretted instrument with different length
strings, though many harps have had
“sharping levers” for centuries, and for
over a 100 years upright bass players have
used a one-string partial capo called a
“bass extension” on their low-E string.
