"Capo" that Guitar?

A friend on Facebook suggested that all Taylor Swift songs sound the same. The few I’ve heard are constructed similarly, and they are all capoed up a few frets. This allows for easier playing, as the strings are closer to the frets and easier to play. The frets are also closer when a capo is applied, so smaller fingers don’t have to reach so far.

By the way, "capoed" is not a word in the dictionary, though I hear musicians use "capo" as a verb all the time. Perhaps it's because barré can be used as a verb. Barré is shortening all the strings at once using one finger to play barré chords—something children and many adults find difficult to do.

Complete Method Book

I’ve been using A Modern Method for Guitar – Volumes 1 2 3 Complete ( Berklee Press) with some of my guitar students, and I recommend it for helping establish a solid foundation for serious musicians. Like so many method books, it has it’s particular approach, but it’s one that not only emphasizes exercises but also explains technique as it goes and is very inclusive. This method book was first recommended to me last summer by jazz guitarist Steve Jacobson , and I wish I’d discovered it long ago.