πΈ Guitar Capo Transposer
Enter chords and a capo position to see the shapes you actually play.
Transposed chords
How to Use This Capo Transposer
Type or paste your chord progression into the box, pick a capo fret, and choose a mode. In "Show shapes to play" mode you enter the song\'s original chords and the tool tells you which shapes to finger with the capo on. In "Show sounding key" mode you enter the open shapes you want to play and the tool tells you what key the audience actually hears. Results update live as you type.
Paste your chord progression, separated by spaces, commas, or line breaks. Chord symbols like Am7, F#m, Bbmaj7, Gsus4, and D/F# are all recognized, and sharps or flats in your input are preserved in the output style.
Pick your capo fret from 0 to 11. Fret 0 means no capo, which is useful for sanity checking a transposition before you clamp anything on.
Choose the mode. Use "Show shapes to play" when you know the song\'s key and want easy fingerings. Use "Show sounding key" when you have comfortable shapes in mind and want to know what key they produce with the capo on.
Read the chord-by-chord table. Each row shows the original chord, the shape to play, and the sounding pitch, so you can verify the math against a piano or tuner before the gig.
How Capo Transposition Works
Western music divides the octave into 12 equal semitones: C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B, then back to C. A capo simply adds its fret number to every note you play. That is why the two directions of this tool are mirror images: finding shapes subtracts semitones, finding the sounding key adds them. Chord qualities (minor, 7th, sus4, and so on) never change, only the root note moves.
The reason guitarists love this is ergonomics. Open shapes like G, C, D, Em, and Am ring out with open strings and are easy to switch between. Barre-heavy keys like Bb, Eb, and F# are tiring and dull by comparison. The capo lets you borrow the easy shapes for the hard keys: play G shapes with the capo on fret 3 and you are in Bb, play C shapes with the capo on fret 2 and you are in D.
Worked Example
A singer wants to perform a song written as Bb, Gm, Eb, F but the guitarist only knows open shapes comfortably. Enter "Bb Gm Eb F", set the capo to fret 3, and use "Show shapes to play". Each chord moves down 3 semitones: Bb becomes G, Gm becomes Em, Eb becomes C, and F becomes D. The guitarist plays G, Em, C, D shapes, the capo raises everything 3 semitones, and the audience hears the original Bb, Gm, Eb, F.
Reverse case: you love playing Am, F, C, G shapes and the capo sits on fret 5. Switch to "Show sounding key" and the tool moves each chord up 5 semitones: Am becomes Dm, F becomes Bb, C becomes F, and G becomes C. You are now playing in the key of F major (or D minor), which is handy to tell the bass player and keyboardist before the count-in.
Practical Tips
Watch out for awkward results. Transposing down can produce shapes like Bbm or F# that are no easier than the original key, which defeats the purpose. If the shapes look worse than what you started with, try a different fret: capo positions 1 through 5 cover most real-world situations, and each fret gives a completely different set of shapes to choose from.
When a song modulates or borrows chords, transpose the entire progression with one capo setting rather than moving the capo mid-song. If one section lands on truly unplayable shapes, that section is a candidate for simplified substitute chords (for example, playing a plain major triad instead of a maj7) rather than a reason to abandon the capo. And always retune after clamping the capo on, since excess pressure sharpens the strings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a capo do to guitar chords?
A capo clamps across the fretboard and raises the pitch of every string by one semitone per fret. If you play a G shape with the capo on fret 2, the chord sounds as A. Guitarists use this to play in higher keys while keeping easy open chord shapes.
How do I transpose chords for a capo?
Shift every chord down by the same number of semitones as the capo fret. With the capo on fret 3, a song in Bb becomes G shapes: Bb down 3 semitones is G, Eb becomes C, and F becomes D. This tool does the math for your whole progression at once.
Which capo fret makes a song fit my voice?
Sing the song and find the key that feels comfortable, then compare it to the song's original key. The difference in semitones is your capo fret, as long as the resulting chord shapes are playable. Use the 'See resulting key' mode above: enter the open shapes you want to play and try capo positions until the sounding chords match your target key.
Why do my transposed capo chords sound wrong?
The most common mistake is moving only some chords and forgetting the rest, or miscounting semitones past the B to C and E to F half steps. Another trap is transposing in the wrong direction: to find shapes you move DOWN from the original key, to find the sounding key you move UP from the shapes.
Can I use a capo past the 5th fret?
You can, but tone gets thin and bright, and fret spacing gets tight for full barre shapes. Most players stay between frets 1 and 5 for rhythm work. If your math says capo 7 or higher, consider transposing the song to a new key with no capo instead.
Do I need to retune with a capo on?
A well-fit capo should not pull strings sharp, but cheap or overtight capos often do, especially on the low E and B strings. After clamping, strum each string open and check with a tuner. Place the capo just behind the fret wire, not in the middle of the fret, for the cleanest intonation.