Chord Transposer & Capo Calculator
Paste a chord chart, move it to any key, copy it back. The lyrics stay exactly where they were.
A chord transposer moves every chord in a song by the same number of semitones, so the progression keeps its shape in a new key. This one takes a whole chart — chords over lyrics, or chords in square brackets — keeps slash chords and chord types like m7, sus4, maj7 and add9, and spells the result with sharps or flats for the new key. Below it, a capo calculator turns shapes and fret into the key you're really playing in, and back.
Free, no account, and it all runs on this page — nothing you paste is sent anywhere. This tool moves the chord names, not the audio; to put the recording itself in the new key, use Riffloop's key changer.
Last updated · maintained by the Riffloop team
Transpose a Chord Chart
Paste your chords or a chord-over-lyrics chart, choose how many semitones to move, and pick sharps, flats or Auto. Lines made only of chords are transposed with their spacing kept; lyric lines are never changed.
Chord transposer
Up 2 semitones · key G → A (guessed from the first chord)
What it recognises: any root A to G with ♯ or ♭ (or # and b), followed by any chord type — m, 7, m7, maj7, sus2, sus4, add9, dim, aug, 6/9, m7♭5 — and an optional bass note after a slash. Section labels such as [Chorus] or Verse 1: and markers like | x2 N.C. are left alone. Auto spells the result for the new key, judged from the chart's first chord, so put the home chord first if it matters.
Transposing Chords, at a Glance
To transpose chords, move every root and bass note by the same number of semitones and keep each chord's type. A capo raises the sound one semitone per fret while your shapes stay the same, so shape key + capo fret = sounding key.
- 🔢 One semitone = one fret = one piano key, black or white
- 🧩 Em7 up 2 is F♯m7: the letter moves, the "m7" stays
- ↗️ D/F♯ up 2 is E/G♯: move the bass note too
- ♯ Sharp keys get sharps, flat keys get flats
- 🎸 G shapes + capo 2 = key of A
- 🎧 A chart transposer moves the letters, not the recording
How to Transpose Chords by Hand
Count the semitones between the two keys, then move each chord's root — and its bass note, if it has one — by that amount, leaving the chord type alone. It takes a minute per song once you know the twelve notes.
- Count the distance. Count semitones from the old key to the new on the chromatic scale: C, C♯/D♭, D, D♯/E♭, E, F, F♯/G♭, G, G♯/A♭, A, A♯/B♭, B. G to A is +2; G to E is −3.
- Split each chord. Root letter, chord type, bass note: "D7sus4/F♯" is D + 7sus4 + /F♯.
- Move the letters. Shift the root and the bass note by the same number of semitones: D → E, F♯ → G♯.
- Keep the type. Put the type back unchanged: E7sus4/G♯.
- Spell for the new key. Use sharps in sharp keys and flats in flat keys, then play it through against the melody.
| Move | Interval | From C | From G | Same names as |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| +1 | minor 2nd (half step) | C → D♭ | G → A♭ | −11 |
| +2 | major 2nd (whole step) | C → D | G → A | −10 |
| +3 | minor 3rd | C → E♭ | G → B♭ | −9 |
| +4 | major 3rd | C → E | G → B | −8 |
| +5 | perfect 4th | C → F | G → C | −7 |
| +6 | tritone | C → F♯ | G → D♭ | −6 |
| +7 | perfect 5th | C → G | G → D | −5 |
| +8 | minor 6th | C → A♭ | G → E♭ | −4 |
| +9 | major 6th | C → A | G → E | −3 |
| +10 | minor 7th | C → B♭ | G → F | −2 |
| +11 | major 7th | C → B | G → F♯ | −1 |
The last column matters for singers: +5 and −7 give the same chord names but put the song in a different octave. Choose by voice, not by arithmetic. To see why keys a fifth apart feel so close, look at the circle of fifths; to move a whole progression with Roman numerals instead of letters, see common chord progressions in every key.
The Roman-numeral shortcut
For a simple song, skip the counting: write each chord as its number in the key, then read the numbers in the new key. G, Em, C, D in G is I–vi–IV–V; in B♭ the same numbers are B♭, Gm, E♭, F. It's how session players move a song on the spot, and it works best when every chord belongs to the key — for borrowed chords and slash chords, the semitone method above is safer.
Sharps or Flats When You Transpose?
Spell the new chords the way the new key is written: with sharps in G, D, A, E, B and F♯ (and E, B, F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯ minor), with flats in F, B♭, E♭, A♭ and D♭ (and D, G, C, F and B♭ minor). A♯ and B♭ sound the same, but a chart in F with "A♯" in it is harder to read.
- ♯ Sharp side: transposing into A gives C♯m and F♯m, never D♭m or G♭m.
- ♭ Flat side: transposing into E♭ gives A♭ and B♭, never G♯ and A♯.
- 🔀 Borrowed chords: in a sharp key, a borrowed ♭VII or ♭VI keeps its flat — in G, that's F and E♭, not D♯.
- ⚖️ F♯ or G♭: both have six accidentals; guitar charts usually say F♯, so Auto does too.
Auto follows these rules, relative to the key it guesses from your first chord. If your chart opens on something other than the home chord, switch to Sharps or Flats by hand.
Capo Calculator and Capo Chart
A capo raises the pitch one semitone per fret, so the sounding key is the key of your shapes plus the capo fret: G shapes at fret 2 sound in A, C shapes at fret 3 in E♭. To find a capo fret, subtract the shape key from the song's key.
Capo calculator
What key am I playing in?
Sounds in A major.
Where do I put the capo?
- Capo 1 with A shapes
- Capo 3 with G shapes
- Capo 6 with E shapes
| Shapes | Capo 1 | Capo 2 | Capo 3 | Capo 4 | Capo 5 | Capo 6 | Capo 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C shapes | D♭ | D | E♭ | E | F | F♯ | G |
| A shapes | B♭ | B | C | D♭ | D | E♭ | E |
| G shapes | A♭ | A | B♭ | B | C | D♭ | D |
| E shapes | F | F♯ | G | A♭ | A | B♭ | B |
| D shapes | E♭ | E | F | F♯ | G | A♭ | A |
| Am shapes | B♭m | Bm | Cm | C♯m | Dm | D♯m | Em |
| Em shapes | Fm | F♯m | Gm | G♯m | Am | B♭m | Bm |
| Dm shapes | D♯m | Em | Fm | F♯m | Gm | G♯m | Am |
Which Capo Fret Should You Use?
Use the lowest capo fret that gives you open shapes you play well. G, C, D, A and E shapes all work; frets 1 to 5 keep a full sound, and above fret 7 the guitar gets thin and bright.
- Start from the song's key. Read it from the chart, or let a key finder read it from the recording.
- List the options. The calculator above lists every shape family from fret 0 to 7.
- Prefer your best shapes. G and C shapes for strumming songs, A and E for riffs, D for bright, ringing parts.
- Check the awkward chords. A chart full of B or F shapes after the capo is a sign to try another family.
- Two guitars? Split the families. In G, one guitar plays G shapes open while the other plays D shapes at fret 5 or C shapes at fret 7 — same key, two voicings.
Three Worked Transposing Examples
The three jobs players actually do: fit a flat-key song onto open shapes, move a chart down for a singer, and read capo shapes from a chart written in the sounding key.
1. A song in B♭, on open shapes
B♭ is awkward on guitar. The calculator offers capo 1 with A shapes, capo 3 with G shapes or capo 6 with E shapes. Capo 3 is the usual pick: you play G, C, D and Em, and they sound as B♭, E♭, F and Gm.
2. A chart in G, three semitones lower for a singer
G, C, D, Em down three semitones become E, A, B, C♯m — the key of E, all open chords, no capo. If the singer wanted two semitones lower instead (F), you'd use capo 3 with D shapes or capo 1 with E shapes.
3. A chart written in E♭, with a capo on fret 1
To find the shapes, transpose the chart down by the capo fret: E♭, A♭, B♭, Cm down one semitone are D, G, A, Bm. Play those shapes at capo 1 and the guitar sounds in E♭ with the rest of the band.
Transposing the Chart vs the Recording
A chord transposer changes the letters on the page; the recording stays in its original key. If you want to play the new chords along with the record, the audio has to move too — that's a key changer, not a chart transposer.
| Chord transposer (this page) | Capo | Riffloop key changer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What changes | The chord names | The pitch of your guitar | The recording itself |
| Up and down | ✓ | Up only | ✓ ±12 semitones |
| Keeps your chord shapes | New shapes | ✓ | ✓ chords respelled for the new key |
| Play along with the original record | Only if the record moves too | Only at the song's own key | ✓ tempo kept |
| Best for | A chart for a singer or band | Open-chord sound in any key | Practising with the record in your key |
In Riffloop the key slider moves the song up or down to twelve semitones with the tempo unchanged, and the detected chord track and guitar shapes follow — respelled for the new key — so what you read matches what you hear. It works on the YouTube video itself with the Chrome extension, on files in the Studio, and in the iPhone and Android apps. Chords are shown at major and minor level, so a Cmaj7 on your chart appears as C. The details are on the song key changer page; for the chords of a recording, try the YouTube chord finder.
Common Transposing Mistakes
Nearly every transposing error is one of six: a forgotten bass note, a lost chord type, the wrong spelling, a capo counted the wrong way, a key moved in the wrong octave, or a chart changed while the record wasn't.
- Forgetting the bass note. D/F♯ up two is E/G♯, not E/F♯.
- Dropping the chord type. Am7 becomes Bm7, not Bm — the colour is part of the song.
- Mixing sharps and flats. One key, one spelling; A♯ in a chart in F is a typo waiting to happen.
- Counting the capo the wrong way. To read shapes, transpose down by the fret; to find the sound, add it.
- Choosing +7 when the singer needed −5. Same chord names, an octave apart — test it with the voice.
- Moving the chart but not the record. If you practise along with the original, transpose the audio too.
Chord Transposer — FAQ
What players ask about transposing chords and capos: counting semitones, slash chords, sharps or flats, capo frets and what a chart transposer can't do.
How do I transpose chords to another key?
Count how many semitones the new key is from the old one, then move every chord's root by that many semitones and keep the rest of the chord name. From G up to A is two semitones, so G becomes A, Em becomes F♯m and D/F♯ becomes E/G♯. Paste the chart into the transposer above and it does every chord at once.
What does a capo do to the key?
A capo raises everything you play by one semitone per fret, while you keep fingering the same chord shapes. G shapes with a capo on the 2nd fret sound in A; C shapes on the 3rd fret sound in E♭. The chords you see on your fretting hand stay the same; the key you hear moves up.
What key am I in with a capo on the 2nd fret?
Two semitones above the shapes you're playing: G shapes sound in A, C shapes in D, D shapes in E, A shapes in B and E shapes in F♯. Minor shapes work the same way, so Em becomes F♯m and Am becomes Bm.
How do I find the right capo fret for a song?
Take the song's key and subtract the key of the open shapes you want to play; the difference in semitones is the capo fret. For a song in B♭, A shapes need capo 1, G shapes capo 3 and E shapes capo 6. Pick the lowest fret that gives shapes you like — above the 7th fret the guitar starts to sound thin.
Does transposing change chord types like m7, sus4 or maj7?
No. Transposing moves only the letter names — the root and any bass note — and keeps the chord type. Am7 up two semitones is Bm7, Dsus4 is Esus4, Cmaj7 is Dmaj7 and Cadd9 is Dadd9.
How do I transpose slash chords like D/F♯?
Move both letters by the same amount. D/F♯ up two semitones is E/G♯; G/B down three is E/G♯. The bass note keeps the same distance from the chord, so the walking bass line in the arrangement survives the key change.
Should I use sharps or flats when I transpose?
Follow the new key. Keys on the sharp side — G, D, A, E, B, F♯ and their relative minors — are written with sharps; keys on the flat side — F, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ — with flats. So it's F♯m in D major but G♭ in D♭ major. The transposer's Auto setting does this for you, based on the chart's first chord.
Is transposing up 5 semitones the same as down 7?
On a chord chart, yes: both turn C into F, because they land on the same letter an octave apart. On a recording or for a singer they are very different — up five is higher, down seven is lower — so choose by which register suits the voice.
How do I transpose chords for a singer?
Find how far the song's highest note is from the top of the singer's comfortable range, and move the chords by that many semitones. A man singing a song recorded by a woman usually starts five to seven semitones lower. Then try the new key with the record before you print the chart.
Can I transpose chords without a capo?
Yes — write the chords out in the new key and play those shapes instead. A capo only moves you up and only keeps your open shapes; transposing the chart works in both directions, at the cost of learning new shapes, sometimes barre chords.
What's the difference between a capo chart and a transposition chart?
A capo chart tells you which key your shapes sound in at each fret. A transposition chart tells you what each chord becomes when you move a song up or down a number of semitones. They're the same arithmetic used in opposite directions: capo up three is the same as reading the chords three semitones higher.
Does the chord transposer change the song's audio?
No. It rewrites the chord names; the recording stays in its original key. To move the recording itself so you can play the new chords along with it, use a key changer such as Riffloop's, which shifts the audio up to twelve semitones either way with the tempo kept.
Can I transpose ChordPro charts or chords in square brackets?
Yes. Chords inside square brackets, like [G] or [D/F♯], are transposed wherever they appear in a line, and the words around them are left alone. Chord-over-lyric charts work too: lines made only of chords are transposed, and lyric lines are never touched.
Is the chord transposer free?
Yes. The transposer and capo calculator on this page are free, need no account and run entirely on this page — nothing you paste is sent anywhere. Riffloop's practice tools for the recording itself are free to start, with Pro from $9.99 a month.
If You Remember Four Things
- 1 Move every root and bass note the same number of semitones; keep the chord type.
- 2 Spell with the new key's sharps or flats.
- 3 Shape key + capo fret = sounding key; song key − shape key = capo fret.
- 4 A chart transposer moves the letters; to play along, move the recording too.
Keep Going With Riffloop
New Key on Paper. Now on the Record.
Open the song on YouTube, move it to the key you just transposed to, and play along — the chords follow the audio, and the tempo stays put. Three songs as a guest, no account.
