How to transpose chords with a capo (plus a capo chart)
How to transpose chords with a capo: what each fret does to the key, a capo chart for common chord shapes, and how to move a song without one.
9 October 2026 · 7 min read
All tools
Capo chord converter and capo transpose chart
A free capo chord converter and capo calculator. Capo 2 is what key? Which fret to capo for the key of C? Paste the chords you play, get the actual chords, and play any song without a capo. The capo transpose chart for every key is at the bottom.
Want the long version? Read how to transpose chords with a capo
What key am I in with a capo?
Capo on the 2nd fret is what key? Paste the chords you play with the capo, or the whole sheet, and set the fret. The capo chord converter shows the key you are in and the actual chords: hand them to keys and bass, or play the song without a capo.
G chords with the capo on fret 2: you are in A. Replace the sheet with your own chords and lyrics for a quick check of your own song.
A
GuitarCapo II (G)
Actual chords without a capo, in A
ChordsChorusASing it outE and the nigF#mht feels youDngAHold the liEne till the Dmorning AcomesSave to your Fretlist library
Keep the capo per song: pick the fret and the chords change to the shapes you play. Transpose on the fly, play on stage, offline on any device.
Free. Create account if you don't have one yet.
Which capo fret for your key?
What capo for the key of Eb, or which fret to capo for the key of C? Pick the key the song is in: the capo calculator sets the first fret that gives you open chords and names the others. They all sound in the same key: a capo high up the neck is brighter and thinner, low down keeps more of the guitar's body. Paste your own sheet on the left to transpose it for the capo.
Capo on fret 1: D chords. Open chords also with capo III (C) and capo VI (A). Replace the sheet with your own chords and lyrics for a quick check of your own song.
Eb
GuitarCapo I (D)
You play, capo on fret 1
ChordsChorusDSing it outA and the nigBmht feels youGngDHold the liAne till the Gmorning DcomesSave to your Fretlist library
Fretlist remembers the capo fret for every song, on every device, and shows it in Play Mode.
Free. Create account if you don't have one yet.
Capo transpose chart
The guitar capo chart for every key. Find the key the song is in on the left, then read along the row: each cell is the chords you play with the capo on that fret, so the chart converts in both directions. Open shapes (C, A, G, E and D) are marked. Minor keys work the same way: Am chords with the capo on fret 2 are in Bm.
Capo and transpose on every song
Fretlist keeps the capo per song: pick the fret and the chords change to the shapes you play, with a Capo II (G) badge so you know where it goes. Transpose on the fly, play on stage, offline on any device. Free to start.
The same shapes, a higher song
A capo clamps every string at one fret. Each fret is one semitone, so the shapes you play stay the same and the whole song sounds higher by one semitone per fret. Play G shapes with the capo on fret 2 and the listener hears A. Your fingers still make G, C and D.
You play, capo on fret 2
ChordsGHello darknDess my old EmfriendCI've come tGo talk with you againYou hear
ChordsAHello darknEess my old F#mfriendDI've come tAo talk with you againQuestions
What key is capo 2?
The key of the chords you play, two semitones up. G, C, D and Em with the capo on fret 2 are A, D, E and F#m: you are in A. C chords on capo 2 are in D, D chords are in E. Each fret is one semitone, so capo 3 is three up: G chords with the capo on fret 3 are in Bb. The converter above does it for any chords and any fret.
What capo for the key of C?
No capo, if C, F, G and Am sit fine under your fingers. For other shapes in the same key: A chords with the capo on fret 3, or G chords on fret 5. Pick any key above and every fret with open chords is listed. A song in Eb, for example, has three: D chords on fret 1, C chords on fret 3, A chords on fret 6.
How do I play a capo song without a capo?
Move every chord up by the capo fret. A tab that says capo 2 with G, C, D and Em is A, D, E and F#m without a capo. Paste the chords in the capo chord converter above, set the fret the tab says, and copy the result. Some of the chords will be barre chords; that is what the capo was saving you.
What do the piano and bass play when I use a capo?
The actual chords, not your shapes. Capo 2 with G, C, D and Em: they play A, D, E and F#m. Paste your chords above with the fret and hand them the result. Those are also the chords you play yourself when you have no capo with you.
Can a capo lower the key of a song?
No. A capo only raises a song, one semitone per fret. If a song sits too high for your voice, transpose the chords down instead: every chord moves down by the same number of semitones.
Should I use a capo or transpose the chords?
Use a capo when the song has to go up, or sits in a key like Eb or F, and you want to keep the open chords you know. Transpose the chords when the song has to go down, when you play with keys or bass who read the actual chords, or on an instrument without a capo.
Can Fretlist do this for every song?
Yes. Every song in Fretlist has a capo control and a transpose control side by side. Pick a fret and the chords change to the shapes you play there, with a badge that reads Capo II (G) so you see where the capo goes. Your choice is saved per song on your account, so it is there on your other devices and in Play Mode. The capo guide walks through both controls, and Change the key covers moving a song to a new key for good.
Further reading
Change the key of a song in the editor
The song editor colors your chord sheet as you type and writes the brackets and braces for you. The Sections and Directives rail, the slash menu, Tab between fields, Expand, links in a song, and changing the key.
Updated 5 October 2026