Chord transposer: change any song's key to fit your voice
Paste the chords, or a whole chord chart with the lyrics under them. Move it up or down, or pick the key you want, and every chord changes with it. Lyrics stay where they are.
Don't know your comfortable top note? The free vocal range test finds it in about two minutes.
Transposition chart: the chords in every major key
Find the song's key in the left column and read across for its chords. To transpose, find the same column in the new key's row. The IV chord in G is C; the IV chord in A is D.
| Key | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii° |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C | Dm | Em | F | G | Am | B° |
| D♭ | D♭ | E♭m | Fm | G♭ | A♭ | B♭m | C° |
| D | D | Em | F♯m | G | A | Bm | C♯° |
| E♭ | E♭ | Fm | Gm | A♭ | B♭ | Cm | D° |
| E | E | F♯m | G♯m | A | B | C♯m | D♯° |
| F | F | Gm | Am | B♭ | C | Dm | E° |
| F♯ | F♯ | G♯m | A♯m | B | C♯ | D♯m | E♯° |
| G | G | Am | Bm | C | D | Em | F♯° |
| A♭ | A♭ | B♭m | Cm | D♭ | E♭ | Fm | G° |
| A | A | Bm | C♯m | D | E | F♯m | G♯° |
| B♭ | B♭ | Cm | Dm | E♭ | F | Gm | A° |
| B | B | C♯m | D♯m | E | F♯ | G♯m | A♯° |
Minor keys: the vi chord of each row is its relative minor. A minor uses the same chords as C major.
Capo chart: which key you're really playing in
Across the top, the chord shapes you know. Down the side, the fret the capo is on. Where they meet is the key the song actually sounds in. To sing in E♭ using G shapes, find E♭ in the G column: capo 8. Or use C shapes at capo 3, which most players find friendlier.
| Capo | C shapes | A shapes | G shapes | E shapes | D shapes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No capo | C | A | G | E | D |
| Fret 1 | D♭ | B♭ | A♭ | F | E♭ |
| Fret 2 | D | B | A | F♯ | E |
| Fret 3 | E♭ | C | B♭ | G | F |
| Fret 4 | E | D♭ | B | A♭ | F♯ |
| Fret 5 | F | D | C | A | G |
| Fret 6 | F♯ | E♭ | D♭ | B♭ | A♭ |
| Fret 7 | G | E | D | B | A |
| Fret 8 | A♭ | F | E♭ | C | B♭ |
| Fret 9 | A | F♯ | E | D♭ | B |
Minor shapes work the same way: Am shapes at fret 3 sound in C minor, Em shapes at fret 3 in G minor.
How to transpose a song into your key
- Find where the song hurts. Sing it in the original key and notice the note that strains. That is usually the top of the chorus.
- Count how far to move. One half step is one key on a piano, black or white. If the top note should come down from E5 to C5, that's four half steps down.
- Move every chord the same distance. Use the stepper above, or the transposition chart. G down four half steps is E♭, and so on through the song.
- Check the bottom. Moving a song down also moves its lowest note down. If the verse now rumbles, you've gone too far; try one step less.
- Pick shapes you know. On guitar, a capo lets you play familiar shapes in the new key. The capo line under the transposer suggests one.
Most women singing along with songs written for men need to move up about four or five half steps, and many songs by women sit a step or two high for anyone who hasn't sung in a while. That's why "change the key" is the most useful thing you can do for a song that feels out of reach. Not sure where your voice sits? Try the voice type test.
Transposing questions
How do I transpose chords to a different key?
Move every chord by the same number of half steps. Paste the chords into the transposer above and press + or −, or pick the new key and it works out the distance for you. By hand, use the transposition chart: find each chord's column in the old key and read the same column in the new key.
What key should I sing a song in?
Pick the key where the song's highest note lands on or below the highest note you sing comfortably. Put both notes into "Find the key that fits my voice" and it suggests how far to move. Then check the lowest notes still sound, not rumble.
How many half steps should I transpose for a female voice?
A song sung by a man usually needs to go up four or five half steps for a woman to sing it in her own octave. A song sung by a woman may need nothing, or a step or two down if the chorus sits high for you today.
How do I use a capo chart?
Find the chord shapes you want to play along the top and the key you want to sound in down that column. The fret on that row is where the capo goes. G shapes with the capo on fret 2 sound in A.
Does transposing change the melody?
The tune stays the same shape. Every note moves by the same amount, so it sounds like the same song, higher or lower. That is why you can sing along in a new key without relearning anything.
Why does it show sharps in one key and flats in another?
Each key has a conventional spelling. F major uses B♭, not A♯. On Auto the transposer spells chords the way the new key is usually written. Switch to ♯ or ♭ if your band reads the other way.
More free tools for your voice