For players of string instruments like the ukulele or guitar, the capo will always remain a piece of necessary equipment, regardless of your proficiency level. As small and insignificant as a capo might seem, it always plays a major role in actual playing and even during practice sessions. Apart from transposition (playing open-position chords higher up the neck), the capo is also a creative tool that allows you to play unique chord voicings while accompanying yourself or while playing alongside another ukulele player. Regardless of your style of play or level of play, sooner or later you will always have to consider purchasing a ukulele capo. This article will help you while trying to make this decision.
 | 1.Editor’s choice for best ukulele capo – Winsor & Newton Guitar Capo (PW-CP-12) Utilizing the best technology, this is one ukulele capo that will give you that perfect and buzz-free intonation, regardless of the fret being used on. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 2.Best concert ukulele capo – Kyser Quick-Change Capo for ukuleles, Hawaiian Lei A strong and lightweight ukulele capo, perfect for a quick change and flawless intonation. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 3. Best tenor ukulele capo– Shubb L9 Ukulele Capo (GC-20UL) With an ingenious design, this tenor ukulele capo is versatile, fast, and tight enough for a buzz-free playing and ukulele perfect intonation. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 4.Best soprano ukulele capo- D’Addario Tri-Action Ukulele Capo With an innovative design and mind-blowing aesthetic, this soprano ukulele capo doesn’t just look great, it also plays great. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 5. Best bass ukulele capo – Capo – Guitar Capo for Acoustic Electric Bass Ukulele An easy-to-use and versatile bass ukulele capo with awesome mechanics and perfect intonation. | Buy on Amazon |
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Editor’s choice for best ukulele capo – Winsor & Newton Guitar Capo (PW-CP-12)
Apart from the stunning and minimalistic look, this capo was designed to not just look awesome, but to work awesomely well. Specially made for ukuleles, this capo will perfectly fit most types of ukuleles, including tenor, concert, and soprano. Because it features a micrometer tension adjustment, you can rest assured that it will fit perfectly well on your ukulele, thereby ensuring a buzz-free playing experience. Although it looks quite sturdy (it is really sturdy), it also features a lightweight design made from aircraft-quality aluminum construction.
If you are playing live shows, playing in the studio, or just jamming along with friends, this capo will serve you quite well regardless. For players who need a capo that supports quick and one-movement kinds of changes, then this might be the best capo for you as it is versatile and easy enough for quick and effective changes. All you need to get it in tune is to quickly turn the tension screw and you are set to jam in the new key. This flexibility is especially beneficial to ukulele players who are playing live shows. Because of how easy it is to get this capo to work just fine, it is a perfect choice for both total beginner and seasoned professional ukulele players.
The functionality, mechanics, aesthetics, and overall design of this capo make it worth every digit on its price tag. A perfect combination of simplicity and effectiveness – if you can afford it, just go for it.
Pros
- Easy enough for even a total beginner to use.
- Perfect for fast changes.
- The overall aesthetic and minimalist design makes it befitting for many people.
- Works well with most kinds of the ukulele.
- The lightweight design makes it easy to carry around or even hang on the ukulele neck.
- The micrometer tension adjustment makes sure it clamps tight enough to the ukulele fret, thereby ensuring perfect intonation.
Cons
- A bit too costly for some people.
Best concert ukulele capo – Kyser Quick-Change Capo for ukuleles, Hawaiian Lei
Featuring beautiful and eye-catching colors and patterns, this capo was not just designed to look great but to also work perfectly fine. Suitable for most types of ukulele, including concert, soprano, and tenor. Designed to fit perfectly on the small necks and flat fretboard of ukuleles, this is one of the most amazing ukulele capos you can lay your hands on as a player. The design is pretty straightforward and simple enough for even total beginners to be able to make use of. Although having a more conventional capo design, this capo, however, works better than most conventional capos in the market.
Designed in the USA, you can be sure of not just optimum functionality but also a long-lasting and sturdy build. This capo features a much smaller body, a much lighter spring tension, and no curved radius. The tension is much lighter than that of the actual Kyser Quick-Change guitar capo. This is a perfect fit for most ukuleles. When getting this Kyser capo, you are getting more than just functionality, but also beauty – a stunning island-themed capo to easily and quickly change chord positions and fingerings. The Hawaiian Lei color patterns might differ slightly from those shown in the photos, but you can rest assured that they will arrive looking super-stunning.
Apart from ukuleles, this capo also works just fine on banjos and mandolins, a very versatile and beautifully designed capo. The spring mechanism on this capo is superb, because of its ease of use, it is greatly recommended by many ukulele players of all levels. You might never know how awesome this capo is until you use it side by side with another capo.
Pros
- Features an awesome spring mechanism that helps maintain perfect intonation.
- The conventional design makes it perfect for players who are used to the conventional capo designs.
- Suitable for quick changes.
- Easy to use.
- Perfect for players of different playing levels.
- Awesome aesthetics.
- Hangs perfectly well on the ukulele neck when not in use.
Cons
- A bit too costly for some people.
- A few players find the spring mechanism “too tight.”
- The colors and designs might be a bit shouty for some people who resonate with a more subtle design.
Best tenor ukulele capo – Shubb L9 Ukulele Capo (GC-20UL)
When it comes to design, innovation, functionality, and the overall build, the truth is that not many ukulele capos can rival this Shubb L9. This capo was designed with everything in mind – the player, aesthetics, ergonomics, and functionality. Hand-made in the USA, the L9 comes in anodized silver, anodized red, and anodized blue. At just the first look of this amazing capo, it gives a striking, mechanically superior, and functional impression. This is top-notch but simple engineering brought into the world of ukulele capo design.
Although being a tenor ukulele capo, the beautiful thing about this capo is that it will work perfectly fine on all kinds of ukuleles, including the bass ukulele. This makes it very much different from other kinds of ukulele capo on the market. The Shubb is not exactly new as it has been used, loved, and trusted by several players for more than thirty-five years. Among other adjustable ukulele capos, the Shubb stands out as not just unique but also superior to many.
When using the Shubb capo, you don’t have to reset the capo pressure with each use, you simply just set it once and “forget about it.” Although being quite sturdy, it has a very lightweight aluminum that weighs less than half one ounce. It is not just easy and fast to use, it is easy to carry around – even in your pocket. The custom-made rubber also performs the duty of a fingertip by helping give your ukulele absolute and perfect intonation. With this capo, you can never go out of tune. This is a very versatile capo that works on all kinds of ukuleles and even banjos and mandolins.
Pros
- Perfect intonation.
- Fits all kinds of ukuleles including the baritone.
- Sturdy but lightweight.
- Perfectly sized for ukuleles
- Perfect for players of all playing levels.
Cons
- Very few players experience a buzz on the strings.
Best soprano ukulele capo – D’Addario Tri-Action Ukulele Capo
D’Addario remains a major and respected player in the world of string musical instruments. This tri-action ukulele capo is just another proof that the brand D’Addario deserves the respect and high ratings they are getting from string players around the world. Although being a nice fit for soprano ukuleles, it was designed to fit ukuleles of all sizes. This capo will clamp and work just fine on any ukulele, including the bass ukulele. Featuring a micrometer tension adjustment, with this capo your ukulele will not only remain in perfect tune, but it will also be buzz-free, regardless of the fret it is being placed on.
To make it easy enough for every player to use, it was designed for single-hand changes. This means, it is not only easy but also fast to move this capo around your ukulele neck. It features a very easy Tri-Action Geometry that makes it super effective and smart to use. When not in use, this capo clamps perfectly and neatly to the headstock of your ukulele. Constructed from “aircraft-grade aluminum,” you can be sure of durability and sturdiness.
The Tri-Action geometry helps by reducing the force needed to open and close the capo. Also, it helps apply even tension regardless of your ukulele neck profile. Another amazing feature of this capo is that it totally eliminates pulling the ukulele strings side to side, and also, the need to retune after placement. The micrometer tension adjustment helps distribute the necessary amount of pressure on the ukulele strings when dialing a particular string tension. This capo is notable for its very clean ukulele tone.
Pros
- Perfect for single-hand changes.
- Easy and fast to use.
- Gives a buzz-free playing experience.
- Eliminates pulling the ukulele strings side to side.
- Eliminates the need to retune after placement.
- Perfect for all kinds of ukuleles.
- Tri-Action Geometry makes it a lot more effective and smart to use.
- Sturdy, but also portable.
- The locking mechanism is nice and secure.
Cons
- None that we can think of.
Best bass ukulele capo – Capo – Guitar Capo for Acoustic Electric Bass Ukulele
A nicely made bass ukulele capo that will ensure a smooth and buzz-free playing experience. Because of how easy and effective it is to use this bass ukulele capo, this remains one of the best capos for bass ukulele players playing on stage or even in the studio. For quick changes and one-hand changes on your bass ukulele, this might be the perfect choice for you.
With a beautiful and effective design birthed from six years of consistently producing awesome capos and accessories for string instruments, the Wogod capo looks just stunning and plays just amazing enough for players of all skill levels. This capo is durable and anti-rust, it also comes with a protective silicone pad to protect the fretboard of your ukulele. It also features a steel spring for the best and most stable elasticity and an overall ergonomic design that will make it just fun and easy to use. Also, it features a lightweight design which makes it convenient and easy to use and carry around.
Pros
- Guards and protects your ukulele from scratches.
- The memory spring clamps the strings evenly and ensures a buzz-free playing experience with perfect intonation.
- Versatile enough to be used on different instruments.
- Affordable enough for most players.
Cons
- Might be too tight for some players, thus making it hard to use.
- Not rosewood as described but a vinyl wood sticker.
- After long usage, it might start losing grip.
Ukulele Capo Buying Guide
What is a ukulele capo?
A ukulele capo is a device you attach to your ukulele’s neck to clamp (hold) down all the strings. The capo allows you to play in higher keys or unfamiliar keys, using familiar chord shapes like C, D, and G. Capo stands for “capotasto,” which is the Italian word for “head of fretboard.”
What the capo does for the ukulele is the same thing the transpose button does for electronic keyboards. Sometimes, you are not familiar with barre chords the same way you are familiar with open position chords. Because some of these barre chords like C# major, or G# a major can be pretty challenging for some players, you can place a capo on the ukulele neck just so you can play these familiar chords using chord shapes you are familiar with. For example, if you can only play all the chords in the key of C major but you wish to accompany a singer or play a song which is in the key of C# major, all you have to do is fix a capo on the first fret of your ukulele. When you fix it on this fret, you simply play the song using the familiar chord shapes you know and assume that your guitar neck starts from where your capo is being placed.
How do you use a ukulele capo?
To use a capo, you clamp it on your fretboard and assume that’s where your guitar neck starts from. Once you clamp the capo on your fretboard, play any familiar chord shape you know. If you are on the first fret, it means you have transposed whatever chord you are playing by one semitone.
If you are on the second fret, it means you have transposed whatever familiar chord shape you are playing by two semitones. If you are on the third fret, it means you are transposing it by three semitones. Using the first fret as an example, if you put your capo on the first fret and play the G major chord shape, it simply means you are playing G# major. If you play C major, still with the capo on the first fret, it means you are playing C# major. If you move the capo to the second fret and play the G major chord, it simply means you are playing the A major chord using the G major chord shape. Still on the second fret, if you play the C major chord, it means you are playing the D major chord using the C major chord shape. The same goes for minor, diminished, and all other chord qualities.
Which is the best ukulele capo, trigger or screw capos?
None is better than the other. Every ukulele capo is designed to function quite differently. Just choose the one which is easier and quicker for you to use.
Does using a capo make you a lazy or amateur ukulele player?
The simple answer is “no.” Using a capo is a matter of personal taste and choice. The truth is that most professional players always make use of the ukulele capo at a certain point. However, it is also advised you learn barre chord positions too and don’t depend solely on capos.
Can you use a guitar capo on the ukulele?
Of course, you can always use a guitar capo if your guitar capo works just fine. However, capos designed especially for ukuleles are made to fit the neck profiles of ukuleles which are quite different from guitars. But, if your guitar capo is working well with your ukulele, then go ahead and use it.
Conclusion and Winner(s)
Having put everything into consideration, I made my choice. However, all the ukuleles capos mentioned here have been carefully selected and reviewed. On that note, you can rest assured that every capo on this list is amazing and will perform better than most capos out there. I chose the Winsor & Newton Guitar Capo (PW-CP-12) because of its ingenious and functional design. It is pretty versatile as it can fit on most types of ukuleles, except the bass ukulele. It is easy enough for beginners and pros alike, perfect for fast changes, comes with a micrometer tension adjustment that makes it clamp tightly and perfectly on the neck of your ukulele without giving any buzz or bad intonation. It features a pretty simple design, minimal aesthetic, and overall top-notch mechanics.
Second on my list is the D’Addario Tri-Action Ukulele Capo. Known for making some of the best guitar and ukulele accessories, this D’Addario capo is not just super effective but also versatile as it can fit all kinds of ukuleles, including the bass ukulele. Featuring a tri-action geometry, nice locking mechanism, and tuning stability, this is one capo that will always live up to the great and unrivaled reputation behind the brand name D’Addario.
Last update on 2023-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
