Capo Calculator & Chord Transposer

Enter a chord progression and choose a capo fret or target key — get transposed chords instantly. Works entirely in your browser; nothing is sent to a server.

Chord progression

G Am F C D Bm G A C G Am F E A B7 E Am Dm G C

Capo fret (1–9)

Place capo at this fret and play the output chords below — the guitar will sound the original chords.

Enter a progression above to see results.

How it works

Every guitar chord has a root note that maps to a semitone number (C=0 through B=11). Transposing shifts each root by a fixed number of semitones; chord quality (minor, 7th, sus4…) is preserved unchanged.

Capo mode Place capo at fret N → each open string sounds N semitones higher. To keep the song in the same key, play chords that are N semitones lower. The calculator does that shift for you.

Transpose mode Shift every chord root by the chosen number of semitones. Positive = up, negative = down. Useful for matching a singer's vocal range or moving between guitar-friendly keys.

Enharmonic choice The calculator prefers sharp spellings (C#, D#, F#, G#, A#) for upward shifts and flat spellings (Db, Eb, Gb, Ab, Bb) for downward shifts — matching standard convention.

Slash chords Bass notes in slash chords (e.g. G/B) are also transposed independently using the same semitone math.

Semitone	Note (sharp)	Note (flat)

Frequently asked questions

What does a guitar capo do to chord shapes?: A capo clamps all strings at a chosen fret, raising every open string's pitch by that many semitones. This means the chord shapes you finger stay the same, but the actual pitches (and therefore the sounding key) shift upward. For example, playing an open G shape with a capo at fret 2 produces an A chord. The Capo Mode above reverses that logic: you give it the chords you want to hear, and it tells you which shapes to finger.
How do I transpose chords to a different key?: Use the Transpose Mode tab. Enter your chord progression, then either type a semitone offset (e.g. +2 for two semitones up, −3 for three semitones down) or pick a target key from the dropdown. The calculator figures out how many semitones to shift the first chord to reach that key, then applies the same offset to every chord in the progression. Chord quality — minor, 7th, sus4, dim, aug, add9, etc. — is always preserved.
Which capo position is best for a given song?: It depends on what chord shapes you want to use. Common guitar-friendly open keys are G, C, D, E, and A. If a song is in Bb, you can play open A shapes with capo 1 (1 semitone up), or open G shapes with capo 3 (3 semitones up). Enter the original chords above in Capo Mode and try different fret numbers to find the shapes that feel best under your fingers.
Why does the tool use sharps sometimes and flats other times?: Musical convention: sharp spellings (C#, F#, G#…) are preferred when shifting up, and flat spellings (Db, Eb, Bb…) when shifting down. The tool follows this rule automatically. You can always treat C# and Db as the same pitch — they are enharmonically equivalent. If a specific key has a strong preference (e.g. Bb major uses flats throughout), seasoned players may rewrite a note or two by hand.
What chord notations are supported?: The calculator recognises roots with sharps (#) and flats (b), plus a wide range of suffixes: m / min, maj7, m7, 7, 9, m9, 11, 13, sus2, sus4, add9, add11, dim, aug, ° and + symbols, and combinations like m7b5. Slash chords with a bass note (e.g. G/B, Am/E) are also handled — the bass note is transposed separately. Unknown tokens (e.g. bar markers like | or repeat symbols) are passed through unchanged.
Does this work offline or save my data anywhere?: Yes — everything runs in your browser using pure JavaScript. No data is sent to any server, no account is required, and no information is stored after you close the tab. You can even save this page and use it offline.