1Song Key
The original key the song is written in
2Chord Shapes I Want to Play
Highlighted keys have easy open chord shapes
Put Capo On
Fret 4
Play C shapes → sounds like E
All options for E
| Open Shape | No Capo | Capo 1 | Capo 2 | Capo 3 | Capo 4 | Capo 5 | Capo 6 | Capo 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C | C# | D | D# | E | F | F# | G |
| D | D | D# | E | F | F# | G | G# | A |
| E | E | F | F# | G | G# | A | A# | B |
| F | F | F# | G | G# | A | A# | B | C |
| G | G | G# | A | A# | B | C | C# | D |
| A | A | A# | B | C | C# | D | D# | E |
How to Use
- 1Choose "Find Capo Position" to discover where to place your capo, or "Find Sounding Key" to see what key your current capo setup produces.
- 2In "Find Capo Position": select the song's original key, then tap the chord shapes you want to play. The capo fret appears instantly.
- 3Browse "All options" to compare capo positions. Green highlighted rows use easy open chord shapes (C, D, E, G, A) that most guitarists know well.
- 4Use the Capo Transposition Chart as a quick reference — find your open chord shape in the left column and follow across to your capo fret.
About the Guitar Capo Calculator
Guitar Tool Hub's free online capo calculator helps guitarists find the exact capo position to play any song in any key using familiar open chord shapes. Select your song key and preferred chord shapes to instantly see where to place your capo — or enter your capo position and chord shapes to discover the actual sounding key. Includes a complete capo transposition chart covering all common open chord shapes and capo positions 1 through 7.
- 01Instantly find your capo position for any key
- 02Reverse-calculate the sounding key from your capo setup
- 03Complete capo transposition reference chart
- 04Highlights easy open chord shapes (C, D, E, G, A)
- 05Toggle between sharps and flats notation
- 06Free — no account or download needed
Frequently Asked Questions
A capo calculator helps you figure out where to place a capo on your guitar neck to play any song in any key using open chord shapes. For example, if a song is in Eb but you want to play with C shapes, the calculator tells you to put the capo on fret 3.
Select the original key of the song under 'Song Key', then pick the chord shapes you want to play. The calculator instantly shows your capo fret. You can also click any row in 'All options' to explore different capo positions and chord shape combinations.
A capo lets you play any key using simple open chord shapes. It's ideal for matching a song's key to your vocal range, simplifying songs that have difficult barre chords, and playing along with other instruments tuned to different keys.
Each fret raises the pitch by exactly 1 semitone. Capo 1 = +1 semitone (C shapes → C#/Db), capo 2 = +2 semitones (C shapes → D), capo 3 = +3 semitones (C shapes → D#/Eb), and so on up the neck.
'Find Capo Position' answers: I know the song key and the chord shapes I want to use — where do I put the capo? 'Find Sounding Key' answers: I have my capo on fret X and I'm playing Y shapes — what key does it actually sound like?
The easiest open chord keys are C, D, E, G, and A — these have all the standard open chord shapes guitarists learn first. The calculator highlights these options so you can find the most comfortable capo setup for your hands.