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Transpose chords

Transpose chords

Paste a song with its chords, pick how many half steps to move it, and copy the result. The lyrics stay as they are.

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Transpose chords

Chords (and lyrics, if you like)

Semitones

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Result

Intro: D  A  Bm  G

D              A
(your lyrics here)
Bm             G
(and here)

[D]Chords in brackets [A]work too

10 chords changed

Song keyMode

To sound in C major, put the capo on the fret on the left and play the shapes on the right.

Capo	Play in	Main chords
No capo	C major	C F G Am
Fret 1	B major	B E F♯ G♯m
Fret 2	B♭ major	B♭ E♭ F Gm
Fret 3	A major	A D E F♯m
Fret 4	A♭ major	A♭ D♭ E♭ Fm
Fret 5	G major	G C D Em
Fret 6	F♯ major	F♯ B C♯ D♯m
Fret 7	F major	F B♭ C Dm
Fret 8	E major	E A B C♯m
Fret 9	E♭ major	E♭ A♭ B♭ Cm

How it works

Every chord moves the same number of half steps: up 2, C becomes D, Am becomes Bm and G7 becomes A7. The chord type (m, 7, sus4…) and the bass note of slash chords (C/E) move with it.

Only chord lines are changed: lines where every word is a chord (a label like “Chorus:” at the start is fine), and chords in square brackets inside a line of lyrics, like [C]this. A line of lyrics is never touched, so “A” in a sentence stays an article. Chords above the lyrics keep their column, so each one stays over its syllable.

Sharps or flats

By default, the chords are spelled in the key the song moves to, taken from its first chord: in F♯ major you get C♯ and D♯m, not D♭ and E♭m. Chords outside that key take the spelling with the fewest sharps or flats. Choose sharps or flats if you'd rather have them all one way. Chords outside the list of 20 types, like E7♯9 or G13, move too: the root changes and the rest stays as written.

The capo

A capo raises every string by one half step per fret. With the capo on the 2nd fret, a G shape sounds as A. The Capo tab shows, for the key a song is in, which shapes to play with the capo on each fret.

Frequently asked questions

How do I transpose a song up a whole step?

Move it +2 half steps: C becomes D, G becomes A, Am becomes Bm.

Will it change the words of the lyrics?

No. Only lines made of chords and chords in [brackets] are changed.

Where do I put the capo to play a song in A with G shapes?

On the 2nd fret: G is two half steps below A.

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