Guitar Capo Chart & Position Calculator
Pick the song's key and the open chord shape you want to play (C, D, E, G, A, etc.) to instantly find the right capo fret. Includes a full 12-fret chart for every major and minor open shape.
Full Chart (Major Shapes: Frets 0–11)
The key that actually sounds when you play each of the C, D, E, G, A open shapes at a given capo fret.
| Fret | C | D | E | G | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | C | D | E | G | A |
| 1 | C♯/D♭ | D♯/E♭ | F | G♯/A♭ | A♯/B♭ |
| 2 | D | E | F♯/G♭ | A | B |
| 3 | D♯/E♭ | F | G | A♯/B♭ | C |
| 4 | E | F♯/G♭ | G♯/A♭ | B | C♯/D♭ |
| 5 | F | G | A | C | D |
| 6 | F♯/G♭ | G♯/A♭ | A♯/B♭ | C♯/D♭ | D♯/E♭ |
| 7 | G | A | B | D | E |
| 8 | G♯/A♭ | A♯/B♭ | C | D♯/E♭ | F |
| 9 | A | B | C♯/D♭ | E | F♯/G♭ |
| 10 | A♯/B♭ | C | D | F | G |
| 11 | B | C♯/D♭ | D♯/E♭ | F♯/G♭ | G♯/A♭ |
Full Chart (Minor Shapes: Frets 0–11)
The key that actually sounds when you play each of the Am, Dm, Em open shapes at a given capo fret.
| Fret | Am | Dm | Em |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Am | Dm | Em |
| 1 | A♯m/B♭m | D♯m/E♭m | Fm |
| 2 | Bm | Em | F♯m/G♭m |
| 3 | Cm | Fm | Gm |
| 4 | C♯m/D♭m | F♯m/G♭m | G♯m/A♭m |
| 5 | Dm | Gm | Am |
| 6 | D♯m/E♭m | G♯m/A♭m | A♯m/B♭m |
| 7 | Em | Am | Bm |
| 8 | Fm | A♯m/B♭m | Cm |
| 9 | F♯m/G♭m | Bm | C♯m/D♭m |
| 10 | Gm | Cm | Dm |
| 11 | G♯m/A♭m | C♯m/D♭m | D♯m/E♭m |
On a typical acoustic guitar, frets 7–9 are usually the practical limit for a capo, since the body starts to get in the way beyond that. Treat higher fret values in the chart as a theoretical reference.
What Is a Guitar Capo?
A capo is a clamp that fits over the guitar neck and presses down all the strings at once. Attaching it raises the pitch of every open string by one semitone per fret, which lets you play the exact same chord shapes while transposing the whole song to a different key. Guitarists reach for a capo to match a comfortable vocal range, or to swap out awkward barre chords for easier open-position shapes.
This tool calculates the exact fret you need once you pick the song's key and the open shape you want to play. It also shows what every other common shape actually sounds like at that same capo position, plus a full reference chart across all 12 frets — handy for translating an entire chord progression, not just a single chord.
How to Use It
- Choose the song's key Select the actual key of the song you want to play from "Key you want to sound."
- Choose the shape you want to play Pick one of the open shapes — C, G, D, A, E (major) or Am, Dm, Em (minor).
- Read the required fret The calculated capo position appears instantly. A result of fret 0 means no capo is needed.
- Look up other chords in the song For other chords in the same song, check the chart at the same capo position to see what each shape actually sounds like.
Tips for getting more out of it
- A capo can technically sit anywhere from fret 0 (no capo) up to fret 11, but frets 7–9 are usually the practical limit before the guitar body gets in the way.
- The same key can often be reached with more than one shape-and-fret combination — feel free to pick whichever shape is easiest for your fingers.
- If a tutorial says "capo 2, play it like a G shape," just look up the G column at fret 2 in the chart to find the actual sounding key instantly.
- After clipping on a capo, strum through every string once to make sure none of them are buzzing or muted from uneven pressure.
Common Use Cases
Transposing to a comfortable singing key
If a song's original key does not fit your voice, a capo lets you shift to any key while keeping the same easy chord shapes.
Simplifying a barre-chord-heavy song
Many songs in awkward keys can be played entirely with open chords once you find the right capo position.
Reproducing a tutorial's "capo 2, play like G" instruction
Quickly translate a capo position and shape given in a tutorial or tab into the actual sounding key.
Glossary
- Capo
- A clamp attached to the guitar neck that presses down all strings at a given fret, raising the pitch of every open string.
- Shape (chord form)
- The physical finger position for a chord. The same shape sounds a different key depending on where the capo is placed.
- Key
- The tonal center a song is built around. A capo is one way to change the sounding key without changing the shapes you play.
- Fret
- One of the metal bars dividing the guitar neck. The capo fret number determines how many semitones the pitch is raised.
- Transpose
- Shifting an entire piece of music up or down by a fixed interval. A capo is a physical, on-the-instrument way of transposing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Side Note — The History of the Capo, a Shortcut for Transposition
The capo was invented to solve a problem that fretted instruments like the lute and guitar have struggled with for centuries: transposing is far more awkward than on a piano, where you can shift to any key just by moving your fingers to different keys. On a guitar, changing key often means swapping a comfortable open-chord shape for a much harder barre chord. The capo solves this with a clever trick — instead of changing the shape, it physically moves the instrument's reference point (the pitch of the open strings).
The word "capo" is short for the Italian "capotasto," meaning roughly "head of the fingerboard," and capos were already documented in use among classical guitar and mandolin players by the 19th century. Early versions were screw-tightened metal bars; over the 20th century, elastic-band and quick-release clip designs became common, and today's spring-loaded clip-on capos are a staple in the gig bag of nearly every singer-songwriter and folk guitarist.
Capos are popular for more than just convenience. Chords played with open strings tend to ring out with a fuller, more resonant sustain than the same chord played entirely on fretted notes higher up the neck. That means even if a song is written in a barre-chord-heavy key, clipping on a capo and switching to an easy open shape can make it both simpler to play and better sounding at the same time — which is exactly why so many guitar lessons and tabs include instructions like "capo 3, play it like a C shape."