transpose.siteCapo chart
A capo clamps every string at one fret, which becomes your new nut. Your chord shapes stay the same while the sound goes up a half step per fret. So keep two names apart: the shape your fingers make and the key you hear. A G shape with a capo on fret 2 sounds as A.
Sounding key by shape and capo fret
| Capo | C shape | A shape | G shape | E shape | D shape |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| none | C | A | G | E | D |
| fret 1 | D♭ | B♭ | A♭ | F | E♭ |
| fret 2 | D | B | A | F♯ | E |
| fret 3 | E♭ | C | B♭ | G | F |
| fret 4 | E | D♭ | B | A♭ | F♯ |
| fret 5 | F | D | C | A | G |
| fret 6 | F♯ | E♭ | D♭ | B♭ | A♭ |
| fret 7 | G | E | D | B | A |
Minor shapes work the same way: an Em shape with a capo on fret 2 sounds as F♯m.
Where to put the capo for the key you want
| Key | Options (capo fret · shape) |
|---|---|
| C | no capo · C shape / fret 3 · A shape / fret 5 · G shape |
| D♭ | fret 1 · C shape / fret 4 · A shape / fret 6 · G shape |
| D | no capo · D shape / fret 2 · C shape / fret 5 · A shape / fret 7 · G shape |
| E♭ | fret 1 · D shape / fret 3 · C shape / fret 6 · A shape |
| E | no capo · E shape / fret 2 · D shape / fret 4 · C shape / fret 7 · A shape |
| F | fret 1 · E shape / fret 3 · D shape / fret 5 · C shape |
| F♯ | fret 2 · E shape / fret 4 · D shape / fret 6 · C shape |
| G | no capo · G shape / fret 3 · E shape / fret 5 · D shape / fret 7 · C shape |
| A♭ | fret 1 · G shape / fret 4 · E shape / fret 6 · D shape |
| A | no capo · A shape / fret 2 · G shape / fret 5 · E shape / fret 7 · D shape |
| B♭ | fret 1 · A shape / fret 3 · G shape / fret 6 · E shape |
| B | fret 2 · A shape / fret 4 · G shape / fret 7 · E shape |
Higher than fret 7 the strings get cramped and the tone thins out, so the chart stops there. Low frets with G or E shapes sound full; higher frets with C or D shapes sound bright and light — great when two guitars play together.
Capo and transposing
- Hard key, easy shapes: a song in E♭ full of barre chords? Transpose the score down 3 half steps to C and put the capo on fret 3. You play C shapes; it still sounds in E♭.
- Raising the key: keep the chords and move the capo up — two half steps up means fret 2.
- Lowering the key: a capo can't lower the pitch. Move an existing capo down, or transpose the score itself.
To rewrite the chords and TAB of a PDF score in another key, open it in the free PDF transposer. Chord shapes for every key are in the guitar chord chart.