David Wieland

r ransom wrote:Does a capo hurt the guitar?

A capo is a harmless and practically essential guitar accessory. It's most often used to adjust the pitch to better match a singer's voice without changing the chord shapes being played or to allow easier chords to be used. It also can make some difficult finger stretches playable and can alter the timbre in a desirable way. Get one that fits your instrument, and enjoy the flexibility.

r ransom wrote:I have a fear of breaking strings

I know of only two ways to break a string that isn't old: Tuning it too high or playing it with extreme vigor.

You mentioned wound strings in an earlier post. The metal winding serves to lower the pitch by making the string heavier while retaining flexibility and tension that's similar to lighter unwound strings. This is done whether the core is nylon, steel, or some other material.

r ransom wrote:..
My affordable ukulele refuses to do this.  Probably because it is affordable.

If I want to play the medieval song in the original post, or Concerning Hobbits, I will need to find a way to compensate for the hammer on and pull off notes.  
...

The clarity of sound you get from a hammer-on depends on at least three things: distance to the fretboard, speed of attack, and firmness of the "hammer" fingertip. The string length is likely a factor too, which limits the uke.

An alternative to a hammer-on is a double pluck, which works to get more volume, if you can fit it in.

r ransom wrote:So, I'm not breaking music laws by doing this?

It's ok to change music or do people get angry?

Unless you're playing a composed classical tune, feel free to personalize it. Even then, classical music is subject to some interpretation by the player. If that angered someone, it would signify an unhealthy mental condition 🤯.

Ledward Ka'apana is a Hawaiian master of both slack key guitar and ukulele. Somewhat unusually, he is a two-finger picker on both instruments. Here's an example of what he can do on uke: