Guitar Capo Calculator
Connect the chord shapes under your fingers with the key your audience hears.
Secure. Data stays in your browserEvery capo position
Compare all positions for your chosen key. Frets 0–5 usually leave more room to play.
| Capo fret | Sounding key | Change |
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What a capo does to your key
A capo shortens the vibrating part of each string. Each fret raises the pitch by one semitone, while familiar open chord shapes retain their finger positions relative to the capo. A G shape with a capo at fret 2 sounds as A; an E minor shape at fret 3 sounds as G minor.
Choose the direction that matches your problem
Use “Shape → sounding key” when you know the shapes you want to play. Use “Sounding key → shape” when a singer or recording has given you a target key. The table lets you compare each capo position and choose a practical shape family.
From one key to a whole progression
Apply the same interval to every chord. To play a sounding D–G–A progression with a capo at fret 2, use C–F–G shapes. A capo changes pitch, not chord quality, so minor chords stay minor and seventh chords keep their seventh.
These calculations assume a standard capo across all six strings and a guitar tuned to concert pitch. Alternate tunings and partial capos need a separate note-by-note check. A higher position can brighten the tone, but it also gives your fretting hand less space.
Using the Guitar Capo Calculator
Work out which key your chord shapes will produce with a capo, or find shapes for a key you have already chosen. The two directions answer different questions, so select the one you need first.
Instructions
- Under Calculation, choose Shape → sounding key or Sounding key → shape.
- Choose the key, Key quality and Capo fret. Read the answer and compare the Every capo position table.
- Try the suggested position on your guitar and transpose the rest of the progression by the same amount.
Checking a capo position
A G shape with a capo at fret 2 sounds as A major. In the other direction, sounding D with a capo at fret 2 calls for C shapes. This calculation describes the key relationship; it does not choose every fingering in your song.
What to do if the answer sounds wrong
- Check the calculation direction. The shape you hold and the pitch the audience hears are not always the same key.
- Make sure the selected major or minor quality matches your song. A capo raises pitch without changing a chord's quality.
- Check tuning and capo placement. Partial capos and alternate tunings need their own string-by-string check.
Choose a position that leaves room for the shapes you want to play. Singing through the whole song is more useful than judging the key from its first chord alone.
