Capo calculator
Type the chord shapes you play (G D Em C, for example), choose the capo fret and see straight away what really sounds: on fret 2, G becomes A, D becomes E, Em becomes F♯m and C becomes D. It works the other way round too: tell it the key the song is in and which shapes you want to use, and the calculator shows which fret to clamp the capo on.
How to use it
- Type or paste the song's chords in the box, separated by spaces (or tap Example).
- Choose the capo fret. The table shows each shape and the chord that really sounds.
- For the reverse calculation, pick the song key and the shapes you want to use: the calculator gives the capo fret and writes the seven chords of the key as shapes.
- Tap one of the easiest positions to see the fret that leaves the most open chords in that key.
- Open the full chart to check what sounds on every fret, from 0 to 11, with the G, C, D, A, E, Am, Em and Dm shapes.
Help and explanations
It understands chord suffixes (m, 7, maj7, sus4, dim, add9, slash bass) and writes the result the way a musician would, following the key. Everything runs in your browser, free, and your last calculation is remembered on this device.
How a capo changes the key
A capo is a fixed barre: each fret you clamp it on shortens the strings and raises the pitch by a semitone. The shapes stay the same, but the chord that comes out is different. With the capo on fret 1, a G shape sounds G♯; on fret 2 it sounds A; on fret 3, B♭; on fret 5, C; on fret 7, D. That is why a chord sheet says «in G, capo 2» when the song actually sounds in A.
The calculator moves the root and the bass of every chord by that number of semitones and keeps the rest: Em7 on fret 3 becomes Gm7, D/F♯ becomes F/A, Cmaj9 becomes E♭maj9. Sharps and flats follow the new key, as on a well-written chord sheet.
Where to put the capo for a key
The reverse calculation is the one you need most often: the song sounds in B♭ and you do not want barre chords everywhere. Pick the real key (B♭) and the shapes you prefer (G, say): the distance between the two gives the fret, the 3rd. With A shapes the capo would go on fret 1; with C shapes it falls off the neck, because C sits above B♭ and the fret would be the 10th.
The easiest positions compare frets 0 to 7 using the chords of the key and mark with ★ the one with the most open chords. Frets above the 7th get cramped on most guitars; the calculator warns you when the chosen combination lands there.
Chord names: letters and solfège
Chord sheets always use letters: C D E F G A B. If your note-name preference on Lalatone is Do Re Mi, the solfège name appears next to each chord (A → La, F♯m → Fa♯m) without changing the chord symbol. C♯ and D♭ are the same sound; the spelling the calculator picks is the one that makes sense in the new key: in A you write F♯m, in E♭ you write A♭.
Tips
- To sing higher without learning new shapes, move the capo up one fret at a time and keep the same shapes.
- Keys like A, B♭, B and E♭ are usually easy with a capo and G or C shapes; F and F♯ work well with E or D shapes.
- After clamping the capo, check your tuning with the guitar tuner: a capo that is too tight pulls the strings sharp.
- To transpose a whole chord sheet, lyrics included, use the chord transposer: it applies this same calculation to the entire text.
Frequently asked questions
Capo on the 2nd fret: what key is it?
One whole tone above what is written. G shapes sound A, C shapes sound D, D shapes sound E, E shapes sound F♯, Am sounds Bm and Em sounds F♯m.
How do I know where to put the capo?
Count the semitones between the shapes you want to play and the key the song sounds in. From G shapes to the key of B♭ it is three semitones: capo on fret 3. The calculator does the count and also compares which position leaves the most open chords.
Does a capo change the key or just the sound?
It really changes the key: each fret raises the pitch a semitone. You keep making the same shapes, but the chords that come out are different. That is why a chord sheet with a capo has to state the fret.
Can I use a capo to lower the key?
Not directly: a capo only raises. To go lower, switch to lower shapes and compensate with the capo. To sound in F with G shapes, for example, there is no fret; use E shapes with the capo on fret 1 or D shapes with the capo on fret 3.
Does the calculator understand sevenths, sus4 and slash chords?
Yes. It reads suffixes such as m, 7, maj7, m7(b5), sus4, sus2, dim, °, add9, 6, 9 and a bass after the slash (G/B, D/F♯). The suffix stays as it is; only the root and the bass change.
What is the difference between the capo calculator and the chord transposer?
The calculator works on a list of chords and answers «what key is it» and «which fret do I clamp the capo on» quickly. The transposer takes the whole chord sheet, lyrics included, and rewrites the text in the new key.
Does the capo chart work for ukulele and mandolin?
The maths is the same: each fret raises the pitch a semitone on any fretted string instrument. Only the list of easy shapes is meant for the guitar; on the ukulele the open shapes are different.