A chord transposer for guitar, ukulele and piano players
This chord transposer changes the key of a whole song in one go. Paste a chord sheet — chords on their own line above the lyrics, or ChordPro with the chords in square brackets — then move it up or down by semitones or pick the new key from a list. The lyrics stay exactly where they were, the chords keep their alignment, and every chord type survives the trip: F#m7b5, Bb/D, Dsus4, G13 and Am(add9) all come out correctly.
Singers use it to put a song in a comfortable range, guitarists to find a capo position with easy open shapes, and bands to share charts in the keys they play. Everything happens in your browser, so unfinished songs never leave your device.
How to use the Chord Transposer
- Paste your song into Song with chords. Chords can sit on their own lines above the words, or inside the text like
[Am]. Press ChordPro example to see the second format. - Press +1 or −1 to move a semitone at a time, or choose a key under To key. The detected key and the new key appear above the result.
- Choose Spell by key (recommended), Sharps or Flats, and tick Nashville numbers if your band reads number charts.
- Check Capo suggestions for the easiest place to clip a capo, and tap the diagrams under Chords in the new key to hear each chord.
- Copy result or Download .txt.
Chord Transposer features
Chord or word?
Each line is tested on its own: it counts as a chord line only when every token is a chord, bar line or section label, or when at least three out of four tokens are chords. That keeps lyrics such as “A man walked in” untouched.
Correct sharps and flats
In “Spell by key” mode chords take the spelling of the new key — B♭ in F major, G♯ in E major — and borrowed chords keep their letter relationship, so a ♭VII stays a flat chord.
Every chord type
Sevenths, sixths, 9/11/13 extensions, sus, add, altered tones, half-diminished (ø), diminished (°) and slash chords are parsed; only the root and bass move, so your own spelling of the chord type is kept.
Capo finder
For each capo fret from 0 to 7 the tool works out the chord shapes you would play and how hard their easiest voicings are, then ranks the positions.
Nashville numbers
Turn chords into numbers relative to the key (1, 4, 5, 6m, 5/7) so the same chart works in any key.
Hear and see the chords
Generated guitar or ukulele diagrams for every chord in the new key, strummed with Web Audio when you tap them.
How transposing works
Western music divides the octave into 12 equal semitones. Transposing adds the same number of semitones to every chord root (and to the bass note of a slash chord): up two semitones turns G into A, C into D and Em into F♯m. Twelve semitones bring you back where you started, so +5 and −7 give the same chords, an octave apart.
The hard part is spelling. A♯ and B♭ sound the same, but in F major the chord is B♭, because the F major scale is F G A B♭ C D E — each letter once. This chord transposer estimates the original key (or reads a ChordPro {key: …} line), spells diatonic chords from the new key’s scale and moves other chords by the same letter distance, using your sharp/flat preference only to avoid double sharps or flats. The scale finder shows any key’s notes.
| Original (G) | +2 → A | −2 → F | +5 → C | −3 → E |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | A | F | C | E |
| C | D | B♭ | F | A |
| D | E | C | G | B |
| Em | F♯m | Dm | Am | C♯m |
| F♯m7♭5 | G♯m7♭5 | Em7♭5 | Bm7♭5 | D♯m7♭5 |
Choosing a capo position
A capo raises every string by the same number of frets, so the shapes you finger sound higher. If a song is in A and you put a capo on fret 2, G-shapes sound as A. The suggestions table lists, for each position, the key your shapes are in and how easy the shapes are, judged from generated voicings: open chords score well, full barre chords and stretches score worse. A good rule: shapes in C, G, D, A, E, Am, Em and Dm give the easiest open chords.
Positions above the 7th fret are not suggested: the strings get short and bright. Tune with the online tuner after fitting the capo (it pulls strings slightly sharp) and practise the new shapes with the metronome.
Limits worth knowing
- Key detection is an estimate from the chords alone (first and last chords count more). Modal songs or songs that change key may be named differently — pick the key yourself under To key if needed.
- Chord lines must use spaces for alignment; tabs are kept as they are. Proportional fonts in word processors will misalign any chord sheet — paste the result into a monospaced font.
- Nashville numbers here count from the tonic, with a minor key’s tonic chord as 1m; some bands number minor keys from the relative major instead.
- Diagrams are generated from the chord’s notes and show one shape each — the guitar chord chart has more voicings.
Chord Transposer FAQ
How do I transpose chords to another key?
Paste the song, then either press +1/−1 until the new key appears or choose the key under To key. Every chord root and slash bass moves by the same number of semitones; the lyrics are untouched.
How does the chord transposer find a capo position?
It tries capo frets 0–7, works out the shapes you would play at each (for example capo 2 turns an A-major song into G shapes) and rates how easy those shapes are. The easiest position is highlighted.
Should I use sharps or flats?
Leave it on Spell by key: chords then follow the new key’s signature (flats in F, B♭, E♭; sharps in G, D, A, E). Force sharps or flats only if your band or software expects one style.
Can it read ChordPro files?
Yes. Inline chords such as [Am] are transposed in place, a {key: G} line is updated to the new key, and other directives like {title:} are kept.
Why was a chord missed?
A line counts as chords only when nearly every word on it is a chord symbol. Put chords on their own line or in [brackets]; detected chords are highlighted in the result.
Is my song uploaded anywhere?
No. The transposer runs in your browser; nothing you paste is sent to a server.