Tool
Transpose chords and capo
Type a key or a short list of simple chord names. Shift them by semitones, or read the sounding names for shapes as if a capo were on fret N. This is not a jazz-voicing parser.
Separate names with spaces or commas. Examples: C, G, Am, F♯, D7. Quality text after the root is copied, not rewritten as a voicing.
When to use transpose or capo
Use transpose when you already have simple names and you need them in another key. C moved up two semitones is D. Accidentals prefer sharps when the shift is upward: C plus one semitone is C♯, not D♭.
Use capo mode when the shapes stay the same and the sounding pitch rises. “Shapes as if capo 2” means those written shapes sound two semitones higher. Open C and G shapes with capo 2 sound as D and A.
The reader accepts a root (C–B), an optional ♯ or ♭, and a short quality such as m, 7, or sus4. It does not parse slash bass lines as inversions, altered extensions, or full jazz symbols. If a token cannot be read, the error sits on the chord field.
Note names are C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. In some countries the note B is written H; this page uses B.
Worked examples
The result is D. If you start on C and need the next whole step, is D the name you expected?
D A Bm G. Does that match the singer’s key if the original shapes were a whole step low?
Sounding names D A Bm G. Are you playing those open shapes with the capo on the second fret?
Questions
Why is C plus 1 written C♯?
Ascending spellings prefer sharps. Descending shifts prefer flats. The page does not guess a key signature beyond that rule.
Can I paste a jazz chart?
No. Long altered symbols are outside the limit. Use simple names, then adjust the voicing yourself.
Is capo the same as a positive transpose?
For the sounding name, capo N is the same shift as plus N semitones. The label changes so guitarists can think in shapes.