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I know what you mean, pastfan.  It's so much easier, just starting out to use a capo.  Especially when it comes to learning barres!  I think, like a few others already said, you can play just about anything with a capo.  I use it a lot to find the range I feel most comfortable singing in.  It sounds like it would be really, really high, but I've found lately that I really enjoy singing with the capo on the 7th fret.  The capo was a lifesaver for me in the beginning until I built up more finger strength.

You should check out some acoustic songs by this guy named Joshua Radin.  He's got a lot of great acoustic stuff and he likes using the capo too. :-)  Welcome to Chordie, btw.

I can't answer that question, Trip...I'm kinda new to guitars, but I did want to thank everyone who have answered Trippy's question.  All your advice was really helpful to me.  I read a lot of it just a day or so before I finally got barre chords down really well.

One thing that really helped me was one of those finger-strengthener things, like this:  http://www.gripmaster.net/gripmaster/

Everyone else here is dead-on with advice about modifying your guitar, though.  My first guitar was a Yamaha acoustic that I could not play no matter how hard I tried.  The body of the guitar was huge, the strings too high off the fretboard, and the strings were really thick.  It's not a bad guitar - just way too big for me.  I started borrowing my husband's much smaller guitar and that's what I've learned on.  It's MUCH easier to play.

If you've been trying for a while and still having difficulties, it probably isn't that you don't have talent or that you suck...it probably is a problem of not having the right guitar for YOU.  I'd check into those modifications everyone is talking about.  It made all the difference in the world for me just playing a different guitar.  Good luck, man... ;-)

Class!  I absolutely loved 'Lies of Despair' and 'The Atheist Song' - you are a very gifted guitarist and vocalist.

And the Indian Chants song really threw me for a moment.  Reminded me a lot of Enigma or Massive Attack...something along those lines.  Cool that you went out on a limb with experimental too.  Thanks for sharing!

Hey Samantha...I think you and I would get along!- some great tunes.  I especially love My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy,  and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

As far as my favorite genres...I don't really have a favorite and least favorite genre.  I, very literally, listen to a little bit of everything.  I really am into the indie music scene right now.  There is so much great music out there that hasn't been heard on the radio.  There's a great site out there, now, called ilike.com that lets you join and list your favorite songs and get and give recommendations to others.  If anyone is on there, let me know!  We can be music pals.

I can sit for hours listening to unsigned artists on Garageband.com, too.  I don't really judge a song by its' genre.  I think I judge on a case-by-case basis.  There are some rap songs I even like.  Right now, my favorite artists of the moment are Schuyler Fisk, Joshua Radin (if you like Simon & Garfunkel or Elliot Smith, check him out!), Josh Woodward, Metric, Rachael Yamagata, Sia, and a lot of the newer punk bands.  There's actually a lot of great music out right now...and I haven't even heard half of it!

Yeah, thanks everyone who gave Nealy advice.  I was able to glean some helpful tips from this, too...I'm about to start tackling barre chords also.  Thank you!

I'm Kelly - Devildog's Doll because the Germans once said the American Marines fought like "hounds from hell" so Marines earned the nickname "Devildogs" and I am married to a Marine, so hence the name.  It's nothing satanic!  lol

I'm 29, my husband is 33 and we're both lovers of music.  I'm originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, USA and he's originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma and between the two of us, we've traveled quite a bit and now live in southern California.

My favorite place in the world is Ireland.  I stayed two weeks in Cork city once and never wanted to leave.  I think it's great that we have such a variety of people and personalities here!  Where distance, politics, and differences may divide...let music unite us all! 

Oh man, I forgot this one and can't even believe I'm going to suggest it...but there's always James Blunt's 'You're Beautiful'

Ray LaMontagne - Hold You In My Arms

I LOVE this guy!  He sounds old-school, but he's actually a new artist!  Seriously, his stuff sounds like a classic, but it's new!  He's got quite a few really good songs.  This one sounds like it would be easy to sing, too:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTmUJ8mp7pU   - not a great video, but the only one I could find.

However, if you decide you want to propose to this girl, I have the PERFECT song for you....

Question by the Old 97's

Here's a video of a guy playing this song on acoustic...it's not the original, but it'll do.  It seems I like music that it's hard to find videos for...lol:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHbHZkIjCnc

As far as more popular stuff...not sure how difficult these are to play, but....

LifeHouse - You and Me (what girl wouldn't love a line like, "And I don't know why, but I can't take my eyes off you".
Mazzy Star - Fade Into You (okay, so a chick sings it,...but it's the easiest song in the world to play and it's sexy!)
Joshua Radin (w/ Schuyler Fisk) - Paperweight ("Mess up my bed with me...kick off the covers...I'm waiting" - okay, maybe not...she might get the wrong idea...lol)
Dashboard Confessionals - Hands Down (I love this one)
John Mayer - Love Song For No One (and then finish it by saying....thank you for finally coming along...okay, too cheesy?)
Sting - Fields of Gold (I've always thought this song was sexy)

And this is country, but it would melt my heart...

James Bonamy - I Don't Think I Will

Hmmm....I could do this all night, so I think I will stop.  Hope you found a song for your girl! ;-)

Check out 'Hello' by Schuyler Fisk.  That's the first song I learned.  It's really easy - no barre chords and really helps you learn chord progression...not to mention it's a GREAT song to sing along with.  She's an up-and-coming indie artist and really good.  She's also Sissy Spacek's daughter.  It really does make an awesome performance song and it's not over-played so it won't be something you're sick and tired of hearing before you even pick up the guitar.

Speaking of Sissy Spacek (who played Loretta Lynn in film), Loretta Lynn's early tunes 'Coal Miner's Daughter' and 'You Ain't Woman Enough' are extremely easy.  Loretta Lynn was a self-taught guitarist who learned how to play while being a mother to all her kids at the same time.  Sure, they're country as all get-out, but fun to play, even if it's just for parody's sake.