The Tools
Transpose Chords
Paste a chord progression, pick a new key, and get the transposed chords plus the best capo positions for guitar. Slash chords, sus chords, 7ths, and extended chords are all handled.
Wonderwall — Bm7 D A4 E7sus4 G9 A Or paste any progression: D A Bm G D A Bm G
Why transposing matters
Songs are often written in keys that don't suit the singer or the player. A worship leader may need to drop a song down a step to fit the congregation's range; a guitarist may want to bump a piano-friendly key like Eb up to G so they can play open chords; a band rehearsing might transpose on the fly to accommodate a guest vocalist. The transposer above does the math instantly.
The capo suggestions are the killer feature for guitarists. Most progressions are easier when they include open strings — that's why beginner songbooks lean on G, C, D, A, and E. Need to play in B♭? Capo on fret 3 and play G shapes. Need F♯? Capo on fret 2 and play E shapes. The tool finds these positions automatically.
How to read the output
The right column shows your input transposed to the target key. Each chord's root note has shifted by the same number of semitones; the chord type (major, minor, 7th, etc.) is preserved.
Below the chord output, you'll see capo positions ranked by ease. Capo 0 means no capo: just play the chords as written. Capo 2 plays in G means you put a capo on fret 2 and play G-shape chords; what you hear sounds in the target key.
Pair with these tools
- Chord finder — look up the fingering for any chord in your transposed output
- Circle of fifths — see how the source and target keys relate
- Metronome — practice the new key at a consistent tempo
FAQ
Common questions.
What does transposing actually do?
Shifting every chord in a progression up or down by the same number of semitones. The relative relationships stay identical — a I-IV-V in C is C-F-G; in G it's G-C-D. Same shape, different key.
Why would I change a song's key?
Most often, to fit a singer's vocal range. If a song is too high, transpose it down a few steps. Guitarists also transpose to make a piece easier to play (some keys have nicer fingerings on guitar than others).
What is a capo?
A bar that clamps across the guitar neck at a specific fret, raising the pitch of every string by that fret count. A capo on fret 2 with C-shape chords sounds in D. Capos let you play familiar shapes in any key.
How does the capo calculator work?
It finds capo positions where the chords you'd actually play (the 'shape' chords) come from beginner-friendly keys: G, C, D, A, E. Those keys have the most open strings and the easiest fingerings.
Will this preserve my chord types?
Yes. Cmaj7 transposed up two semitones is Dmaj7. The suffix (maj7, m7, sus4, etc.) is preserved — only the root note changes.
Does this work with slash chords like C/G?
Yes. The transposer treats both halves of a slash chord as separate roots and shifts them together. C/G → D/A when transposed up two semitones.