CAPO & CHORD TRANSPOSITION
Guitar Capo Transposition Chart and Chord Guide
Keep a familiar fingering under your hand while moving the sounding key upward one semitone for every capo fret.
Free · fully offline · no ads · opens the chord product page
- One fret = one semitone
- Shape name versus sounding chord
- Works with the interactive chord library
Count semitones from the shape
A capo raises every open string by the number of frets where it is placed. An open G shape with capo 2 sounds as A; C with capo 2 sounds as D; D with capo 2 sounds as E. With capo 3, G sounds as B-flat and C sounds as E-flat.
- Capo 1 raises one semitone
- Capo 2 raises one whole step
- Capo 12 raises one octave
Choose shapes that make the progression playable
Work backward from the required concert key. If a song is in E-flat but open E-flat shapes are awkward, capo 1 lets you play familiar D-family shapes. Check the lowest and highest notes as well as the chord names, because a capo also shortens the available range and changes the instrument's colour.
- Concert E-flat · capo 1 · play D
- Concert B-flat · capo 3 · play G
- Concert F · capo 5 · play C
One app for the full practice flow
Tune first. Keep time. Find the next chord.
Download GuitarTool free↗FAQ
Common questions
01Does a capo change chord shapes?＋
Your fingering can stay the same, but the chord that sounds is raised by the capo fret count.
02What does a G shape sound like with capo 2?＋
It sounds as an A major chord.
03Should I tune before or after adding the capo?＋
Tune first, fit the capo close behind the fret without excess pressure, then check tuning again.