Guitar Capo Calculator

Need to play a song in a different key? This capo calculator shows you what chords you’re actually playing when you use a capo, or tells you where to place your capo to play the chords you want.

How Does a Capo Work?

A capo is a clamp that fits across the neck of your guitar, raising the pitch of all the strings. When you place a capo on a fret and play your normal chord shapes, you're actually playing different chords at a higher pitch.

For example, if you place a capo on the 2nd fret and play a C chord shape, you're actually playing a D chord. The capo has raised every string by 2 semitones, so all your chords are 2 semitones higher.

Why Use a Capo?

Capos are incredibly useful for several reasons. They let you match a singer's vocal range without learning new chord shapes. They allow you to play songs in difficult keys using easy chord fingerings. You can also use them to change the tone and resonance of your guitar, giving familiar chords a brighter sound.

Many songs are easier to play with a capo because you can use simple, open chord shapes instead of barre chords.

Playing Songs with a Capo

When you use a capo, the entire key shifts, not just individual chords. If you know a song in the key of C (using chords like C, Am, F, and G), you can play those same chord shapes with a capo to perform the song in any key.

For instance, put your capo on the 3rd fret and play the C, Am, F, and G shapes. You're actually playing in the key of Eb, with the chords Eb, Cm, Ab, and Bb. The progression sounds the same, just higher in pitch. This means you can learn a song once and easily transpose it to match any singer's range.

Tips for Using a Capo

Place the capo just behind the fret, not directly on it, for the clearest sound. Make sure it's tight enough that the strings don't buzz but not so tight that it pulls the strings out of tune.

When writing down songs, many guitarists note both the capo position and the chord shapes. For example, "Capo 2, play G C D" means the song is actually in the key of A, but you play it using G, C, and D shapes with a capo on the 2nd fret.

More Tools

• Circle of Fifths Chart - Interactive tool showing key relationships, signatures, and scale notes.
• Metronome - Practice with adjustable tempo and time signatures.
• BPM Tap Tool - Find the tempo of any song by tapping along.
• Transpose Calculator - Convert notes and chords between different keys.
• Interval Ear Trainer - Train your ear to recognize musical intervals with instant feedback.