Guitar Capo Calculator: Find Your Transposed Key Instantly

🎸 Guitar Capo Calculator

Find your transposed key, chord shapes & capo fret position instantly

Quick Presets
🎵 Capo Settings
✨ Capo Calculation Results
🎵 Capo Semitone Reference — Guitar (Standard Tuning)
1
Semitone per Fret
12
Frets = 1 Octave
EADGBE
Standard Tuning
GCEA
Ukulele Tuning
12
Notes in Chromatic Scale
+5
Ukulele vs Guitar (semitones)
Capo 5
G shape = C sound
Capo 7
G shape = D sound
📊 Capo Fret vs. Sounding Key (Guitar Standard)
Capo Fret G Shape Sounds C Shape Sounds D Shape Sounds A Shape Sounds E Shape Sounds
Open (0)GCDAE
Fret 1G# / AbC# / DbD# / EbA# / BbF
Fret 2ADEBF# / Gb
Fret 3A# / BbD# / EbFCG
Fret 4BEF# / GbC# / DbG# / Ab
Fret 5CFGDA
Fret 6C# / DbF# / GbG# / AbD# / EbA# / Bb
Fret 7DGAEB
Fret 8D# / EbG# / AbA# / BbFC
Fret 9EABF# / GbC# / Db
Fret 10FA# / BbCGD
Fret 11F# / GbBC# / DbG# / AbD# / Eb
Fret 12G (octave)C (octave)D (octave)A (octave)E (octave)
🎸 Recommended Capo Fret by Song Key (Using G Shape)
Song Key Capo Fret (G shape) Chord Shape Semitones Up Alternative Option
GOpenG shape0No capo needed
Ab / G#Fret 1G shape1Fret 4 (E shape)
AFret 2G shape2Open A shape
Bb / A#Fret 3G shape3Fret 1 (A shape)
BFret 4G shape4Fret 2 (A shape)
CFret 5G shape5Open C shape
Db / C#Fret 6G shape6Fret 4 (A shape)
DFret 7G shape7Open D shape
Eb / D#Fret 8G shape8Fret 1 (D shape)
EFret 9G shape9Open E shape
FFret 10G shape10Fret 5 (C shape)
F# / GbFret 11G shape11Fret 2 (E shape)
📋 Instrument Tunings & Open String Notes
Instrument Open Tuning String 1 (High) Fret 1 Note Fret 5 Note Fret 12 Note
Guitar StandardEADGBEE4F4A4E5
Guitar Drop DDADGBEE4F4A4E5
Guitar Open GDGDGBDD4D#4G4D5
Guitar Open DDADF#ADD4D#4G4D5
Ukulele (soprano)GCEAA4A#4D5A5
Banjo 5-stringgDGBDD4D#4G4D5
MandolinGDAEE5F5A5E6
💡 Tip – Lowest Fret Rule: Use the lowest possible capo fret for the easiest chord shapes. For example, to play in the key of F, you can use Capo 1 with E shapes (easier) or Capo 5 with C shapes. Both sound in F but E-shape barre chords at fret 1 are simpler for most players.
💡 Tip – Reverse Calculator: If you know what key a song is in and what chord shape you want to use, pick your shape from the dropdown and your target key from "Song Key" above. The calculator will find the exact capo fret and show all related chord conversions automatically.

The Guitar Capo is a kind of clamp that shortens the vibrating part of the strings by pressing them against the frets. This raises the tone of the open strings by a set interval. Guitar musicians commonly use such devices to quickly change the tone of the melody or to play open chords a bit higher along the neck of the instrument.

For every song you probably need to lay the Guitar Capo on a different fret. For instance, if one lays it on the second fret and plays the form of G-chord, one actually gets A-chord. Every fret raises the tone by one half step.

Using and Buying a Guitar Capo

So a Guitar Capo on the first fret matches the setup of the whole guitar in half tone higher. The song “With or Without You” by U2 uses the sequence D… Bm, G, but with a Guitar Capo on the second fret it transforms to C, G. F, which is commonly simpler to play.

Using a Guitar Capo is not cheating. The sound of many guitars sounds fresher when one uses a Guitar Capo for open strings, that otherwise had to be pressed up on the keyboard. Long keeping barre-chords during a whole bit can hurt the hand, hence the Guitar Capo helps hear also.

It absolutely does not damage the guitar or its strings.

There are many brands of Guitar Capos. Those of Shubb cost little, one can use them and they are compact. Even the rubber pad can be exchanged after years of usage.

The model Shubb S1 is made of rustproof steel with a tuning screw for exact position at any fret. It works for most acoustic and electric guitars, as well as for classical and 12-string versions. Because different guitars have different thicknesses of the neck, adjustable Guitar Capos allow you to change the pressure, so that the strings sound clearly without buzzing or too sharp.

The Guitar Capos of D’Addario give correctly the right pressure for pure and clear sound at every fret. They make them for guitars, mandolins, banjos and even ukuleles. The D’Addario NS Classical Professional Capo has a tuning wheel for pressure.

Kyser Guitar Capos have a quick-change system, made by hand in United States, with a lifetime guarantee.

Guitar Capos come in versions for 6-string, 12-string, classical guitars, banjos and mandolins. Some of them come in silver, black color and 18-karat gold. Also partial Guitar Capos for 3-string and 5-string models exist.

Special Guitar Capos that leave certain strings sounding without pressure are useful for different setups. Most companies that make Guitar Capos offer flat or curved options for classical guitars. The Ernie Ball Axis Capo is reliable andpriced friendly, works with flat necks and curved necks, and moves easily with one hand.

The Thalia Capo comes with various rubber pads, so it fits every kind of guitar neck.

Guitar Capo Calculator: Find Your Transposed Key Instantly

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