Free tool · Key and capo chart

Key and capo chart: which capo fret for any key

Pick the key the song needs to sound in, and the chart shows where to put the capo for each set of shapes, with the chords in that key. You can also work the other way round: pick the shapes you play and the capo fret, and see what key you get.

How to pick a capo position

Start with the key that suits the singer. Then look down the chart for a row where the shapes are G, C, D, A or E. If two rows qualify, take the lower fret: a guitar usually rings better with the capo nearer the nut. If nothing sounds right, try a key one step either way, or sing the verses lower and the chorus higher. Write the capo fret and the shape key on the chart, for example "Capo 2, G shapes".

Capo cheat sheet: common shapes

These are the easiest guitar keys and what they sound like at each capo fret.

Using a capo with a chart you already have

If a chart is written in the sounding key, use the first table to find what to play. If it is written in the shapes, just play them with the capo where it says. Either way, tell the band the sounding key, because a piano or bass player ignores the capo.

Common questions

What does a capo do?

A capo clamps across the neck and shortens the strings. Each fret you move it up raises every string by one semitone, so you play the same shapes in a higher key.

How do I find the capo position for a key?

Pick the key you want to sing in, then pick the open shape key you like playing (G, C, D, A or E are the easiest). The chart shows the fret where the two meet. For example, to sound in A with G shapes, put the capo on fret 2.

Which capo position gives me the key of Bb?

Capo on fret 3 with G shapes, or capo on fret 1 with A shapes. Both sound in Bb.

How do I use a capo with a minor key?

Work from the relative major. Pick the major key whose chords match your shapes: Am goes with C, Em with G, Dm with F. With the capo on fret 2, C shapes sound in D major, so the same fingering with Am as home sounds in Bm. Use the chart with the major shape key, then call the song minor.

Does a capo change the chord names on my chart?

The shapes you play stay the same, but the sounding chords go up. If your chart says the song is in A and you play G shapes with the capo on 2, tell the band it is in A. Write the capo and the shapes on the chart so nobody guesses.

Is a capo cheating?

No. It lets you put a song in the key that suits the voice while keeping shapes your hands know. Many players use one for that and for the ringing open strings.

Keeping a song? songdrafts keeps the key, tempo and lyrics on every song, next to every take of it.