Capo Calculator and Chord Transposer
Pick the song's key and the chord shapes you know: the capo fret appears at once. Or type the chords and let it find the easiest capo.
Capo finder
Capo 2: play G shapes and it sounds in A major.
You play → it sounds
Chord transposer
Play C G Am F (C major), no capo.
Shapes to play · tap to hear
Capo chart for A major
Every capo fret and the shapes that sound in this key. "Open-chord key" marks the usual capo shape keys: C, G, D, A and E major, A, E and D minor.
| Capo | Play | |
|---|---|---|
| none | A shapes | open-chord key |
| 1 | A♭ shapes | |
| 2 | G shapes | open-chord key |
| 3 | F♯ shapes | |
| 4 | F shapes | |
| 5 | E shapes | open-chord key |
| 6 | E♭ shapes | |
| 7 | D shapes | open-chord key |
| 8 | D♭ shapes | |
| 9 | C shapes | open-chord key |
How a capo changes the key
Capo fret = song key − shape key, counted in semitones up from the shape key. Every fret is one semitone, so G shapes at fret 1 sound in A♭, at fret 2 in A, at fret 3 in B♭. Minor works the same way: Em shapes with capo 2 sound in F♯ minor.
Chord charts with a capo are written two ways. Some show the shapes you finger (G C D, "capo 2"); others show the chords that sound (A D E). The transposer above converts either way: type what the song sounds like, set the capo, read the shapes.
Putting the capo on, where it sits behind the fret and keeping the strings in tune: how to use a capo.
The shape keys worth a capo are the ones whose chords are open shapes: C, G, D, A, E, Am, Em, Dm are all open chords, so C, G, D, A and E major and A, E and D minor are the usual shape keys. On the circle of fifths they sit together at the top.
Capo chart: every major key
Capo fret to play each song key with C, A, G, E or D shapes. "–" = capo 10 or higher; pick another shape.
| Song key | C shapes | A shapes | G shapes | E shapes | D shapes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | open | 3 | 5 | 8 | – |
| D♭ | 1 | 4 | 6 | 9 | – |
| D | 2 | 5 | 7 | – | open |
| E♭ | 3 | 6 | 8 | – | 1 |
| E | 4 | 7 | 9 | open | 2 |
| F | 5 | 8 | – | 1 | 3 |
| F♯ | 6 | 9 | – | 2 | 4 |
| G | 7 | – | open | 3 | 5 |
| A♭ | 8 | – | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| A | 9 | open | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| B♭ | – | 1 | 3 | 6 | 8 |
| B | – | 2 | 4 | 7 | 9 |
Capo chart: every minor key
Capo fret with Am, Em or Dm shapes.
| Song key | Am shapes | Em shapes | Dm shapes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cm | 3 | 8 | – |
| C♯m | 4 | 9 | – |
| Dm | 5 | – | open |
| E♭m | 6 | – | 1 |
| Em | 7 | open | 2 |
| Fm | 8 | 1 | 3 |
| F♯m | 9 | 2 | 4 |
| Gm | – | 3 | 5 |
| G♯m | – | 4 | 6 |
| Am | open | 5 | 7 |
| B♭m | 1 | 6 | 8 |
| Bm | 2 | 7 | 9 |
FAQ
Does a capo change the key?
Yes. A capo raises every string by one semitone per fret, so the same chord shapes sound higher: G shapes with capo 2 sound in A, with capo 3 in B♭. The shapes keep their names; only the sound moves.
What key is capo 2 with G shapes?
A major. Count up one semitone per fret from G: G♯ at fret 1, A at fret 2. The chords G, C, D and Em then sound as A, D, E and F♯m.
Can a capo make a song lower?
No, a capo only raises the pitch. To go lower, choose shapes from a lower key with a smaller capo (or none), or tune the whole guitar down, for example a half step to E♭.
Which fret should I put the capo on for my voice?
Sing the first line of the song. If it is too low, move the capo up one fret at a time; if it is too high, move it down or pick lower shapes. The transposer above shows the chords for each step.
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