Music tools
Transpose and capo calculator
Shift a chord progression up or down by any number of semitones, and find the capo position to play open shapes. Everything runs in your browser.
Transpose
Capo helper
To make the chords above sound in their written key while playing easy open shapes, capo at the fret below and play these shapes.
How it works
Transposing moves music up or down by a fixed number of semitones, keeping the same shape but changing the key. Type a chord progression and shift it by any interval to put a song in a new key - to fit a singer's range, to match another instrument, or to move to easier shapes. Each chord root is moved by the same amount and the chord quality (minor, seventh, and so on) is kept intact.
The capo helper answers the guitarist's question the other way round: if you want a song to sound in one key but play familiar open shapes, it tells you which shapes to finger at a given capo fret. A capo at the third fret, for instance, means you play shapes three semitones lower than the sounding key. It all computes live in your browser.
Example. The progression C - Am - F - G transposed up two semitones becomes D - Bm - G - A. To sound in D using open shapes, put a capo on fret 2 and play the C - Am - F - G shapes.
FAQ
How does transposing chords work?
Every chord root is shifted by the same number of semitones while its quality stays the same. Moving C, Am, and F up two semitones gives D, Bm, and G - the relationships between the chords are unchanged, only the key moves.
How does a capo change the key?
A capo raises the pitch of every string by the number of frets it is clamped at, so a shape you finger sounds that many semitones higher. To sound in a target key with open shapes, you play shapes whose key is the target minus the capo fret.
Will it choose sharps or flats?
You can pick. Some keys read more naturally with flats (like Eb or Bb) and others with sharps (like A or E); the option lets you match the spelling to the key you are working in.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Transposition is plain arithmetic on note names done in your browser, so the tool works offline and nothing is uploaded.