Glad to be getting so much good advice. I'm sure I'll be trying some stuff in "Spanish" (open-G/A) as well as "Vastapol" (open-D/E), but my immediate concern was to find additional things to do in the *one* open tuning I'm currently workling in, without retuning.

In answer to Grab/Graham's question from 8:53 last night, I'll indulge in some additional thread creep of my own:

Yes, I had once decided to play with no capo, as well as with no retuning, no slide, no switching between picks, etc. My guiding principle was to "KISS" (Keep It Simple, Stupid) and to travel light while grinding out ridiculously long hours as a solo steet performer, and I think it worked very well, within its self-imposed limitations. I spent about three years on this program and became a much stronger player and singer.

While I made no progress at all in learning different tunings and/or different stringed instruments, I *really* learned the standard-tuned guitar fingerboard. My vocal range was always fairly good, but I definitely extended it while eschewing use of the capo. My left hand technique improved somewhat as I *had* to make some barre chords and other difficult chord shapes. My right hand technique definitely profited more than anything else; whereas I had previously employed completely different approaches for "strumming" and for a fairly careful and timid style of "fingerpicking," I eventually developed a much freer, more fluid attack whereby I can use the thumbpick OR either of two fingerpicks to play, at any given time, a single string, a partial chord (2-3 strings), or a full chord -- and to play everything loud and strong while getting the maximum "ring" and resonance out of my guitar.

All in all, I'd say that my strategy worked pretty well -- for me. Probably not the best approach for everyone, but worth consideration by any young/beginning player with skills, limitations, and goals similar to mine of 30+ years ago.

Now I'm much older, and gradually "relearning" my instrument after years of comparitive inactivity. I'm definitely interested in picking up some new tricks (despite being such a very old dog), and filling in some of the blank spaces I deliberately left open years ago, including some work in open tunings, with and without a slide.

And, yes, I now use a capo with some regularity. When my arthritic left hand aches but I want to continue practicing/playing a little longer, I find that slapping a capo on (usually at the 2d fret) gives me a "second wind," making the action a little lower and (more importantly) shortening up the distance between frets and making all the "reaches" that much easier.

Another argument in favor of the capo: when jamming/playing with a group -- especially when most or all of the instruments are also guitars -- capo-ing up adds a bit of variety to the sound: not only by raising the pitch of your instrument, but also by changing the voicing (combination of open & fretted strings) of every chord you play. (This is a little something I learned here at Mudcat, from one Mr. McGrath of Harlow.)