Capo Transposition Chart
Match a chord shape to its sounding chord at each capo fret, or reverse the calculation.
Keep the C shape and see what chord each capo position produces.
No capo
C
Capo 1
Db
Capo 2
D
Capo 3
Eb
Capo 4
E
Capo 5
F
Capo 6
Gb
Capo 7
G
Capo 8
Ab
Capo 9
A
Capo 10
Bb
Capo 11
B
Capo 12
C
Full major-chord transposition chart
| Shape | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C | Db | D | Eb | E | F | Gb | G | Ab | A | Bb | B | C |
| C# | Db | D | Eb | E | F | Gb | G | Ab | A | Bb | B | C | Db |
| D | D | Eb | E | F | Gb | G | Ab | A | Bb | B | C | Db | D |
| D# | Eb | E | F | Gb | G | Ab | A | Bb | B | C | Db | D | Eb |
| E | E | F | Gb | G | Ab | A | Bb | B | C | Db | D | Eb | E |
| F | F | Gb | G | Ab | A | Bb | B | C | Db | D | Eb | E | F |
| F# | Gb | G | Ab | A | Bb | B | C | Db | D | Eb | E | F | Gb |
| G | G | Ab | A | Bb | B | C | Db | D | Eb | E | F | Gb | G |
| G# | Ab | A | Bb | B | C | Db | D | Eb | E | F | Gb | G | Ab |
| A | A | Bb | B | C | Db | D | Eb | E | F | Gb | G | Ab | A |
| A# | Bb | B | C | Db | D | Eb | E | F | Gb | G | Ab | A | Bb |
| B | B | C | Db | D | Eb | E | F | Gb | G | Ab | A | Bb | B |
Keep shape and sound separate
A capo raises the open-string pitches while letting you use shapes relative to its new position. Put it at fret two and play a G shape: the chord you hear is A.
Shape to sound mode keeps your chosen hand shape fixed. Sound to shape instead keeps the desired chord fixed and shows what shape produces it from each capo position.
Transpose a complete progression
For a song using A–D–E, a capo at fret two lets you play G–C–D shapes. The relationships between chords stay intact because every note moves by the same interval.
Chord quality remains unchanged. A minor shape still produces a minor chord after transposition; the root changes. Apply the same capo position to every chord in the song.
Know the limits of the chart
These results assume a full capo covers every string and the underlying tuning is correct. Partial capos and deliberately altered open strings need their own note-by-note analysis.
A capo cannot make a shape sound lower. Reverse mode may therefore suggest a higher position or a less familiar shape. Try nearby options on the instrument and choose a register that suits the singer.