Choose the original key and the new key to transpose a chord progression, and get a note chart, diatonic chords, and the capo fret for each guitar shape.
Original key
New key
Or shift by half steps:
Transposed
Note conversion chart
Diatonic chords (major scale)
TIP
This is a large shift. On guitar, look at the capo chart for the shape that needs the lowest fret.
Guitar capo chart
To sound in G, put the capo on the fret shown and play that shape. Select a row to see your chords as shapes.
Frets are for standard tuning. The lowest fret is only a starting point; pick whichever shape is easiest to play.
Chord progression converter
Type or paste chords in the original key, separated by spaces or commas. Use a new line for each section (e.g. C G Am F or Am7/G).
In G
Transpose chords to a new key and find the capo fret
Transposing a song means moving every note and chord by the same number of half steps. The chord relationships do not change, so a I–IV–V progression is still I–IV–V in the new key. The slow part is the bookkeeping: converting each chord, choosing sharps or flats, and working out where the capo goes.
Select the original key and the new key and this page shows the converted notes, the diatonic chords for both keys, and a capo chart for guitar. Type or paste a chord progression, including slash chords like C/E, and it is converted to the new key.
Use it to find a key that fits your voice, to give a band one agreed key, or to rewrite a chord sheet.
When to transpose a song
Finding a key that fits your voice
If the original key is too high or too low, shift it a half step at a time and see the new chords and capo position right away.
Agreeing on a key with a band
Once the singer picks a key, everyone can check their part: guitar shapes and capo, piano chords, or a transposed horn part.
Rewriting a chord sheet
Paste the progression and get it back in the new key, one line per section, ready to copy into your chart.
Keeping easy open chords with a capo
Look up which fret gives you the new key with C, A, G, E or D shapes, then see your chords written as those shapes.
How to change the key of a song
- Choose Major or Minor, then tap the original key.
- Tap the new key, or use the half step buttons (−6 to +6) to move up or down.
- Read the note conversion chart and the diatonic chord table.
- On guitar, open the capo chart. Each row gives the capo fret for one chord shape. Select a row to see your chords as those shapes.
- Type or paste your chords, separated by spaces or commas, with a new line for each section. The converted chords appear below. Copy them when you are done.
Note: Charts update as you click or type, and nothing you enter is sent to a server.
What the chord converter does and does not change
- Every note is moved by the same number of half steps, using 12 equal half steps per octave. Songs that change key partway through need each section converted separately.
- Sharps or flats are chosen from the new key. Your original chart may use the other spelling for the same pitch.
- The converter changes the root note, and the bass note of slash chords. The rest of the chord name stays as you typed it. Text that does not look like a chord is left unchanged, so check the result against your original.
- In minor mode, the diatonic chords use the natural minor scale, and the capo chart uses the open minor shapes Am, Em and Dm.
- Capo frets assume standard guitar tuning.
Key signatures for the 12 major keys
The number of sharps or flats in each major key, and the minor key that shares its key signature.
| Major key | Key signature | Relative minor |
|---|---|---|
| C | No sharps or flats | Am |
| G | 1 sharp (F#) | Em |
| D | 2 sharps (F#, C#) | Bm |
| A | 3 sharps (F#, C#, G#) | F#m |
| E | 4 sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#) | C#m |
| B | 5 sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#) | G#m |
| F# | 6 sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#) | D#m |
| Db | 5 flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb) | Bbm |
| Ab | 4 flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db) | Fm |
| Eb | 3 flats (Bb, Eb, Ab) | Cm |
| Bb | 2 flats (Bb, Eb) | Gm |
| F | 1 flat (Bb) | Dm |
Capo shapes, chord numbers and sharps vs. flats
A few ideas that make transposing and capo math easier.
A transposition is one shift applied to everything
Pick how many half steps to move, then apply that number to every chord. Going from C to G is +7, which is the same as −5. The tool picks the smaller direction for the display, but both give the same chord names.
How a capo changes the key
A capo on fret n raises every string by n half steps. A C shape with the capo on fret 3 sounds like Eb, because Eb is three half steps above C. The capo chart does this subtraction for the five open shapes C, A, G, E and D, so you can compare options. The Eb example gives D shapes at fret 1, C shapes at fret 3, and higher frets for the other shapes.
Chord numbers stay put
Roman numerals describe a chord's role in the key. In C major, G is the V chord; in G major, D is the V chord. When you transpose, the numerals stay the same and only the chord names change, which is why the diatonic table lines up the old and new chords row by row.
Why a key uses sharps or flats
On the circle of fifths, each step clockwise from C adds a sharp, and each step counter-clockwise adds a flat. A chart in a key with many sharps or flats is easier to read if every note follows that key's spelling, so the converter uses one spelling per key.
Common transposing mistakes
Missing a chord when transposing by hand
One chord left in the old key makes the whole line sound wrong.
💡 See the solution▼
Changing the key but keeping the old capo
Moving the chords up two half steps while leaving the capo where it was gives you the wrong key.
💡 See the solution▼
Mixing sharps and flats in one chart
Writing D# in one bar and Eb in the next makes a chart harder to read.
💡 See the solution▼
Staying in a key that does not suit your voice
Practicing in a key that is too high or too low makes a song harder to sing.
💡 See the solution▼
Band members playing in different keys
The singer changes the key but not everyone hears about it.
💡 See the solution▼
Transposing and capo questions
Q.What does it mean to transpose a song?
A. Transposing moves every note and chord in a song up or down by the same number of half steps. The distances between notes stay the same, so the chord roles (I, IV, V and so on) and the feel of the song carry over to the new key. People transpose to fit a singer's range or to make a song easier to play.
Q.What is the difference between a half step and a whole step?
A. A half step (semitone) is the smallest distance between two notes on a piano or guitar, such as C to C#. A whole step is two half steps, such as C to D. This tool measures every shift in half steps, so moving up one whole step is a shift of +2.
Q.How do I find the capo fret for a new key?
A. Choose the key you want the song to sound in as the new key. The capo chart lists, for each open chord shape (C, A, G, E and D, or Am, Em and Dm in minor), the fret where the capo goes. The fret is the number of half steps from the shape's own key up to the new key. For example, to sound in Eb you can play D shapes with the capo on fret 1, or C shapes with the capo on fret 3.
Q.How do I use a capo if I already know the chords in the original key?
A. Enter the chords in the converter, select the new key, then select a row in the capo chart. The tool shows the chords converted to the new key and, below them, the chord shapes to play with the capo on the selected fret.
Q.Should I write chords with sharps or flats?
A. Keys such as G, D, A, E and B are normally written with sharps, and keys such as F, Bb, Eb, Ab and Db with flats. The converter picks sharps or flats from the new key (F#/Gb major is spelled with sharps here). If your chart uses the other spelling, the pitch is the same.
Q.What are diatonic chords?
A. Diatonic chords are the seven chords built from the notes of one scale. In a major key they are I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi and vii°. The minor table uses the natural minor scale: i, ii°, III, iv, v, VI and VII. When you transpose, each numeral keeps its role and only the chord names change.
Q.Does the converter handle slash chords and 7th chords?
A. Yes. It changes the root note and the bass note of slash chords such as C/E, and keeps the rest of the chord name as you typed it (m7, maj7, sus4, add9 and similar). Anything that does not look like a chord, such as lyrics, bar lines or N.C., is left as it is. A lone word like "a" or "am" can be read as a chord, so remove lyrics before converting.
Q.Is anything I type sent to a server?
A. No. The keys and chords you enter are processed in your browser, and the tool does not send them anywhere.
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