How To Transpose Chords With a Capo (Easy Guide + Chart)

Last time I made a lesson on how to use a guitar capo, I left out an important bit of information: how to transpose chords properly so that you remain in the same key as the rest of the band.

Today that's what we're talking about.

How Do You Transpose Chords with a Capo?

The rule of thumb that I discuss in the video is basically this:

If you move the capo UP X number of frets, you need to transpose your guitar chords DOWN by the same number of semitones. 

Each fret is a semitone, right?

Step-by-Step Example: Playing in F Major Using D Shapes

Let's do an example.

Say the song is in the key of F, but you don't want to deal with those pesky bar chords.

Thankfully, you have a capo that you can use to transpose the chords with, and you have a clever idea to use the chords from the key of D, transposed up! 

To figure this out, you need to find a location on the fretboard where an open D major chord shape becomes an F. 

If open position gives you a D, then if you placed the capo on the first fret, it would turn that D into a D#, right? Everything moves up by one semitone. That gets us closer, but we need two more frets to get to F (the distance from E to F is a natural semitone - if that doesn't make sense please watch this). 

Therefore, if you capo at the third fret, you can play an open D major chord shape and it will give you an F major chord.

This means that anytime the song has an F chord written, you need to play a D chord instead (with that capo on the 3rd fret, of course.)

Transposing All the Chords in the Key

In like manner, every other chord in the key needs to be transposed in the same way, so let's do that too. 

Here are the six main chords in F major:

F Gm Am Bb C Dm

To transpose the chords correctly, you need to move each chord by the same distance that you've moved the F, which is three semitones (three frets). This becomes: 

D Em F#m G A Bm

Quick Reference: Capo Transposition Chart

Use this chart to quickly find what key you'll be playing in based on your capo position:

How to use this chart: Find the chord shapes you want to play (the key you know), then find the capo position that gives you the key you need to be in.

The Number System Shortcut

The musical number system - sometimes called the Nashville number system - makes this process much easier. 

The six chords I mentioned can be assigned numbers (Roman numerals), according to their position in the scale. 

In any major key, the I, IV and V chords are major, and the ii, iii, and vi chords are minor. We use lower case numerals to show minor, and upper case for major. 

So, we could write the key of F like this:

Now each of those chords has a number, and we can do the same thing for every key.

Once we've done that, we could literally write a song using just numbers, and then instantly transpose it into any key using this system. Here's the same chart with D major added:

Once you understand this system, transposing becomes almost instant - you just count frets and apply the same number pattern in the new key.

When Should You Use Capo Transposition?

Capo transposition is particularly useful in these situations:

Playing with singers in different keys - If a song is written in C but the singer needs it in D, capo on the 2nd fret and keep playing your C shapes.

Avoiding difficult barre chords - Songs in F, Bb, or other keys with lots of barre chords can be played using easier open chord shapes with a capo.

Matching original recordings - Many artists use capos to get specific voicings that sound fuller than standard positions.

Making songs easier for beginners - Instead of teaching someone barre chords right away, you can use a capo to transpose songs into easier keys.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Confusing "up" and "down" - When the capo goes UP the neck (toward the body), the pitch goes UP. To compensate, your chord letter names go DOWN. Capo on 3rd fret turns D shapes into F, not the other way around.

Only transposing some chords - When you transpose one chord in a song, you need to transpose ALL of them by the same amount. If you capo on 3rd fret, every single chord needs to drop by 3 semitones.

Forgetting about semitone spacing - Remember that E to F and B to C are natural semitones (one fret), while all other notes are two frets apart. Count carefully.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use a capo if the chords sound the same?

The capo lets you use easier chord fingerings while staying in the same key as other musicians.

For example, if the band is playing in F (lots of barre chords), you can capo on 3rd fret and play easy D, C, and G shapes - much easier, but you're still in F.

Do I move the capo up or down the neck?

When we say "capo goes up," we mean up the neck toward the body of the guitar (toward higher frets). This raises the pitch. We use chord shapes from a LOWER key to compensate.

Can I transpose without a capo?

Yes - you can learn the chord shapes in different positions on the neck. But a capo is much faster and lets you use the open string resonance that sounds great acoustically.

What if the capo position is too high on the neck?

Generally, capo positions above the 7th fret start to sound thin and lose tone. If you need to go that high, consider learning the actual chord voicings in that key instead.

How do I transpose if I'm playing alone (no band)?

If you're playing solo, just put the capo wherever sounds good for your voice or feels comfortable to play. You can use any chord shapes you want since you don't need to match anyone else's key.

Real World Example: Sweet Home Alabama in Key of B

Reader Chuck asked: "If someone said, 'I sing in the key of B,' and you are playing 'Sweet Home Alabama' (normally D-C-G), what do you do?"

In that particular case, I'd probably take the G, and move it up so that you're now playing it coming off the 7th fret, where you find a B (6th string). This would mean putting the capo on the 4th fret... and you'd be able to use the exact same chord patterns you're used to playing (D C G), and yet be in the key of B.

Basically you're just identifying the root note that you want to move, and then move it to the new key, and capo appropriately. Open G root note is on the third fret, so you need to capo appropriately leaving yourself 3 frets until your root note.

Each key looks different, but the principle is the same.

Want to Go Deeper?

My Guitar Theory Unlocked course teaches you the complete system behind keys, chords, and the fretboard - making transposition and music theory finally make sense.

Related lessons:
• How to Use a Guitar Capo
• Understanding Tones and Semitones