Capo calculator
A capo raises every string at once: each fret is a half step. With the capo on the 2nd fret, a G shape sounds as A. The calculator ties the three together: the key that sounds, the shape you play and the capo fret. Change one and the others follow.
G major shapes with the capo on the 2nd fret sound in A major.
To play in A major
- no capo A major open shapes
- 1st fret A flat major
- 2nd fret G major open shapes
- 3rd fret F sharp major
- 4th fret F major
- 5th fret E major open shapes
- 6th fret E flat major
- 7th fret D major open shapes
Capo chart: shape × fret
Each row is a shape you play; each column, the capo fret. The cell shows the chord that sounds.
A page for each fret
How a capo works
A capo presses all the strings at the same fret, like a barre. The shapes stay the same but everything sounds higher: a half step per fret. To find the chord that sounds, move the shape up as many semitones as the capo fret; to find the shape, move the song's key down.
See also
Frequently asked questions
How does a capo work?
It presses all the strings at one fret and raises everything a half step per fret. You keep playing the same shapes (C, G, D…), but they sound higher.
How do I know which fret to put the capo on?
Count the semitones between the shape you want to play and the key of the song. A song in A played with G shapes: from G to A is 2 semitones, so capo on the 2nd fret.
Which shapes work best with a capo?
G (G C D Em), C (C F G Am), D (D G A Bm), A and E, plus the minor Am, Em and Dm: they have open chords and ring well with a capo.
Does a capo change the tuning?
No. The strings keep their tuning; the capo only shortens the part of the string that vibrates. Tune without the capo and check again after putting it on, since it can pull a string slightly sharp.