Chord Transposer
Instructions
- Enter a Song Title for your sheet.
- Paste lyrics with chords (e.g., [G] or G above text).
- Select shift and click Transpose.
Format Example
[G] Amazing [G7] grace! OR G G7 Amazing grace!
Transposing chord charts to a new key
Paste a chord sheet, choose how many semitones to shift, and every chord moves while the lyrics and layout stay exactly as they were. Both bracketed formats such as [G] and plain chord lines above lyrics are recognised.
Why you would transpose
The usual reason is vocal range. A song sitting comfortably for the original singer may be a strain for someone else, and moving it two or three semitones often turns an impossible melody into an easy one. Have the singer find their comfortable top note and count the distance from there.
The other reason is playability. A song written in E flat is awkward on guitar and natural on piano; the reverse is true of E. Shifting to a guitar-friendly key means open strings and standard shapes rather than barre chords throughout.
Semitones at a glance
One semitone is one fret on a guitar or one key on a piano, including the black keys. From C, moving up two semitones gives D, up five gives F, and up seven gives G. Moving down is the same distance in the other direction, and shifting by twelve returns you to where you started an octave away.
Capo users can think of it in reverse: placing a capo at the third fret and playing the shapes for a song in C produces the sound of E flat. To work out capo shapes, transpose the chart down by the fret number.
Sharps or flats
Upward shifts produce sharps and downward shifts produce flats here, which follows normal musical convention. The notes are identical either way — F sharp and G flat are the same pitch — so if your band reads one more comfortably than the other, just shift in that direction.
Common vocal shifts
Two or three semitones down suits most singers struggling with an original key. Try small moves first.
Guitar-friendly keys
G, C, D, E and A give open shapes. Transposing into one of these often removes every barre chord.
Keep the original
Save the untransposed chart too. You will want it when someone else sings the song.
Frequently asked questions
How many semitones should I shift?
Find the highest note in the melody, decide how far it needs to move for the singer, and shift the whole chart by that distance.
Will it transpose slash chords and extensions?
Root notes and common qualities such as m, maj, dim, sus and sevenths are handled. Check unusual extensions by eye after transposing.
Why do I get sharps instead of flats?
Upward shifts use sharps and downward shifts use flats, following normal convention. Shift in the opposite direction to get the other spelling of the same pitches.
Does a capo transpose up or down?
A capo raises the sounding pitch. To find the shapes to play with a capo, transpose the chart down by the fret number.