The Chetboard

Anyone have an idea why Chet is capoed up to the 5th Fret when playing Chaplin New Shoes ? Chet could play in any Key why would he waste so much Fingerboard Capoing Up?

I’ve seem it played in so many capoed positions that i’m not sure which is correct.

Check the Paul Yandell FAQ section of this board. Paul was a wonderful source of knowledge for Chet's music and many of the questions he responded to are in that section. I'm sure I've seen the answer to this somewhere. I wish there was a "The Norm" FAQ section, too. I miss reading his thoughts and ideas, too. He would have probably known. Sorry I don't remember
Ray

I figured I would chime in here. I've seen videos of Chet playing it un-capoed as well. It just comes down to personal preference. I once had a friend jokingly chastise me for not capoing far enough up the neck to play George Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun" to which I responded that I would play it wherever I wanted to! I actually play "Chaplin in New Shoes" capoed at the first fret, "C" first position for "C-sharp"... it works well for me. - Regards, Tom W.

I did see him play it on youtube Capoed up High. He was playing that tune with Vince Giordano Band. Prairie Home Companion 1988..trading solos with the Piano Player.Sadly someone took that clip down from Youtube.

I listened to the original recording from the LP For the Good Times (and Other Country Moods) and figured out Chet used a capo on the 5th fret and played it in C.

So he was actually playing it in Fmaj on that recording.