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Transpose Tool

Change the key of any chord chart instantly. Paste your chords, pick a new key, and get transposed chords with guitar capo positions and Nashville number notation.

Transpose Settings

From Key

To Key

Or: Semitone Shift

0 semitones

-110+11

Chord Chart / Chords

Quick Transpose

Prefer flats (♭) instead of sharps (♯) Show Nashville Numbers

Transposed Result

Enter chords and press Transpose to see results

Common Transposition Shortcuts

Guitar Capo Calculator

If the song is in A, here are the shapes you play with each capo position:

Capo Fret	Play As Key	Ease

How to Use the Transpose Tool

Step 1

Enter Your Chords

Paste your chord chart, chord progression, or individual chords into the text area. Lyrics and non-chord text are preserved as-is.

Step 2

Choose Your Key

Select the original key (From Key) and your target key (To Key), or use the semitone slider to shift up or down.

Step 3

Transpose

Click Transpose or use the quick transpose buttons (+1, -1, +2, -2). See your chords instantly transformed with a side-by-side comparison.

Step 4

Use Capo & Copy

Check the capo chart for easy guitar voicings in the new key. Copy the transposed chords to your clipboard and you are ready to play.

Understanding Transposition

Transposition means moving every note in a piece of music up or down by the same interval (number of semitones). The melody and harmony remain identical in structure; only the pitch level changes. Musicians transpose to match a singer's vocal range, to simplify chord fingerings on guitar with a capo, or to convert between concert pitch and the written pitch of transposing instruments like trumpet (B♭), alto sax (E♭), or French horn (F).

Transposition Formula

New Note = (Original + Semitones) mod 12

Each note is represented as a number 0-11 (C=0, C#=1, D=2 ... B=11). Adding the semitone shift and wrapping around gives the new note. For example, transposing A (9) up 3 semitones: (9+3) mod 12 = 0 = C.

Guitar Capo Principle

Play-As Key = Original Key - Capo Fret

A capo raises all open strings by one semitone per fret. To play in A with a capo on fret 2, you finger the shapes of the key of G (two semitones lower). The capo handles the rest.

Nashville Number System

The Nashville Number System replaces chord letter names with scale-degree numbers. In any major key, the I chord is the tonic, IV is the subdominant, V is the dominant, and vi (lowercase = minor) is the relative minor. This system makes transposition trivial: a 1-4-5-6m progression is the same in every key. Session musicians in Nashville use it to quickly learn and transpose songs on the fly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I transpose chords from one key to another?

Count the number of semitones (half steps) between the original key and the target key. Then shift every chord root by that many semitones. For example, to go from the key of C to the key of D, shift every chord up 2 semitones: C becomes D, Am becomes Bm, F becomes G, and G becomes A. This tool does this automatically for you.

What capo position should I use to play in a certain key?

Place the capo so that easy open-chord shapes produce the key you need. For example, to play in B♭ with open-chord G shapes, place the capo on fret 3 (G + 3 semitones = B♭). The capo calculator section shows every capo position and highlights the ones that give the easiest fingerings.

What are Nashville Numbers?

The Nashville Number System assigns a number to each scale degree: 1 = tonic, 2 = supertonic, 3 = mediant, 4 = subdominant, 5 = dominant, 6 = submediant, 7 = leading tone. Minor chords are indicated with a lowercase "m" (e.g., 6m). This system lets musicians communicate chord progressions without specifying a key, making transposition effortless.

How do I transpose for B-flat instruments like trumpet or clarinet?

B♭ instruments sound a whole step (2 semitones) lower than written. To give a B♭ player a part that sounds in concert C, write it in D (up 2 semitones). Conversely, if you have a B♭ trumpet part in D, the concert pitch is C (down 2 semitones). Use the "B♭ Instruments" shortcut button (-2 semitones) in the tool.

Does transposing change the feel of a song?

The harmonic relationships between chords stay identical, so the structural feel is the same. However, higher keys can sound brighter and more energetic, while lower keys feel darker and heavier. On guitar, different keys use different chord voicings (open vs. barre), which subtly changes the timbre and resonance of the instrument.

What is the difference between sharps and flats?

Sharps (#) and flats (♭) are two names for the same pitches. C# and D♭ are the same note (enharmonic equivalents). The choice depends on the key: sharp keys (G, D, A, E, B) use sharps, while flat keys (F, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭) use flats. Use the enharmonic preference toggle to switch between sharp and flat spellings.

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