Capo Chart: Which Key Each Fret Puts You In, for Every Chord Shape

· 6 min read

A capo clamps across the fretboard and shortens every string by the same number of frets. Each fret is one semitone, so a capo at the third fret raises every chord you play by three semitones: a G shape sounds as Bb, an Em shape as Gm. Two charts below answer the two questions guitarists ask: what does this shape become at this fret, and which fret do I need to play this key with the shapes I know.

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Chart 1: what each shape becomes

Play the shape in the first column with the capo at the fret in the heading and the chord you hear is in the cell. The shape names are the open chords of the CAGED system plus the three common minors.

Shape you play Capo 1 Capo 2 Capo 3 Capo 4 Capo 5 Capo 6 Capo 7
C C# D Eb E F F# G
A Bb B C C# D Eb E
G Ab A Bb B C C# D
E F F# G Ab A Bb B
D Eb E F F# G Ab A
Am Bbm Bm Cm C#m Dm Ebm Em
Em Fm F#m Gm Abm Am Bbm Bm
Dm Ebm Em Fm F#m Gm Abm Am

The chart continues past fret 7 in the same pattern (each fret one semitone up), but above the seventh fret open-position shapes start to sound thin and the frets get tight under a capo, so most players move to barre chords or a different shape set instead.

Chart 2: which fret for which key

Pick the key you need in the first column. Each cell gives the capo fret that lets you play that key using the open shapes of the column's key. "Open" means no capo: you already know those shapes in that key.

Key you need C shapes A shapes G shapes E shapes D shapes
C open capo 3 capo 5 capo 8 capo 10
C# capo 1 capo 4 capo 6 capo 9 capo 11
D capo 2 capo 5 capo 7 capo 10 open
Eb capo 3 capo 6 capo 8 capo 11 capo 1
E capo 4 capo 7 capo 9 open capo 2
F capo 5 capo 8 capo 10 capo 1 capo 3
F# capo 6 capo 9 capo 11 capo 2 capo 4
G capo 7 capo 10 open capo 3 capo 5
Ab capo 8 capo 11 capo 1 capo 4 capo 6
A capo 9 open capo 2 capo 5 capo 7
Bb capo 10 capo 1 capo 3 capo 6 capo 8
B capo 11 capo 2 capo 4 capo 7 capo 9

Two rules of thumb fall out of the table. A capo at fret 2 turns G shapes into A and D shapes into E; a capo at fret 3 turns G shapes into Bb and A shapes into C. Those four moves cover most of the flat keys that singers and horn players ask for.

How to choose between two frets

Chart 2 usually offers more than one option for a key. Key of C can be A shapes at fret 3, G shapes at fret 5, E shapes at fret 8 or D shapes at fret 10. The choice is about sound, not correctness:

Choice Sound When to use it
Low fret (1 to 3) Closest to open-string tone, full bass Default
Middle fret (4 to 7) Brighter, more like a 12-string in a two-guitar band Second guitar, to sit above the first
High fret (8 and up) Thin, mandolin-like Intros and parts, rarely a whole song

A common two-guitar arrangement is one guitar open and the other capoed five or seven frets up playing different shapes in the same key. Both are in the key; the capoed guitar fills the top of the range.

A short history of the thing

The word is the Italian capotasto, "head of the fretboard". The earliest written mention is in Giovanni Battista Doni's Annotazioni of 1640. The first patented capo in the United States was James Ashborn's yoke design of 1850, a screw clamp that is still the basic shape of the Shubb. The two capos on most pedalboards today are younger than they look: Rick Shubb's lever capo and Milton Kyser's spring-loaded Quick-Change both appeared in 1980. A partial capo, which clamps only some of the strings, dates from the 1970s and gives open tunings without retuning.

What a capo does not do

A capo moves the guitar. It does not move the singer, the keyboard or the backing track. If the band tunes the whole arrangement to the new key the capo is enough. If the song is played to a recorded track, the track has to move by the same number of semitones, and the capo only tells you the number.

Situation Guitar Backing track
Band plays live, no track Capo at the fret from chart 2 Nothing to do
Singer wants it a whole step down, track in original key Capo comes off, or moves down 2 frets Shift the file -2 semitones
Guitar part needs open shapes, track stays Capo at the fret that gives the track's key Nothing to do

The shift to the file is a pitch change with the tempo left alone. The song key changer on this site moves an MP3 or WAV by up to 7 semitones either way, keeps the length and BPM, and can add a count-in to the same file so the guitar and the track start together. How many semitones a recording tolerates is in how to change the key of an MP3; the chord side of the same move is in the transposition chart.

Frequently asked questions

What key is a capo on the 2nd fret?

Whatever shapes you play, two semitones higher. G shapes become A, D shapes become E, C shapes become D, Em becomes F#m.

What key is a capo on the 3rd fret?

Three semitones up: G shapes sound as Bb, A shapes as C, E shapes as G, D shapes as F.

Where do I put the capo to play in the key of F?

E shapes at fret 1, D shapes at fret 3 or C shapes at fret 5. Fret 1 with E shapes is the fullest sound.

Does a capo change the key or the chord shapes?

It changes the key. The shapes you play stay the same; what they sound as goes up one semitone per fret.

Can I use a capo to play along with a recording in a different key?

Yes, if the recording is higher than the key your shapes are in: put the capo at the fret that makes up the difference, from chart 2. If the recording is lower, the capo cannot help and the recording has to be shifted, for example with the key changer.

How high can I put a capo?

Any fret, but above the seventh the chords lose body and the frets are narrow. Most players switch to barre chords or a different shape set there.

Sources

If the backing track is on your computer, hear CountIn count it in on beat one. Listening is free and needs no account.

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