Need to change a song to a different key? This transpose calculator shows you exactly how to convert notes between keys. Select your original key and target key to see the complete note mapping.
Transpose Calculator
Convert notes between keys
When to Transpose Music
Transposing means moving all the notes in a piece of music up or down by a consistent interval to change the key.
Musicians transpose for several reasons: to match a singer’s vocal range, to make a song easier to play in a different key, to accommodate instruments that play in different keys (like Bb trumpet or Eb saxophone), or to better suit the timbre and resonance of their instrument.
How to Use This Calculator
Select your original key from the first dropdown and your target key from the second dropdown.
The calculator instantly shows you how many semitones to shift and maps each note from the original scale to its corresponding note in the new key.
The top row shows the original notes, and the bottom row shows what they become in the target key.
Understanding the Results
The calculator displays notes from the major scale in each key.
If your song uses notes outside the major scale (like chromatic notes or borrowed chords), apply the same semitone shift to those notes as well.
For example, if you’re transposing up 2 semitones, every single note in your piece moves up by 2 semitones, regardless of whether it’s in the major scale.
Transposing Chords
When you transpose a song, the chord types stay the same. Only the root notes change.
A C major chord becomes a D major chord when transposed from C to D. A minor chord stays minor, a seventh chord stays a seventh chord, and so on.
Use the note mapping above to find the new root note for each chord, then keep the same chord type.
More Tools
- Circle of Fifths – Interactive tool showing key relationships, signatures, and scale notes.
- BPM Tap Tool – Find the tempo of any song by tapping along.
- Metronome – Practice with adjustable tempo and time signatures.
- Interval Ear Training Tool – Train your ear to recognize musical intervals with instant feedback.
- Guitar Capo Calculator – Transpose guitar chords easily by finding the right capo position for any key.
Lyric Stories Newsletter
Don’t miss out on our latest song interpretations and curated music lists!