Capo chart
Find the real chord you're playing with a capo, or the easiest capo position for a song's key.
Guitar capo chart
Chord shapes across the top, capo position down the side. Each cell is the chord that actually sounds.
| Capo | C shape | A shape | G shape | E shape | D shape | Am shape | Em shape | Dm shape |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | C | A | G | E | D | Am | Em | Dm |
| Fret 1 | C♯/Dâ™ | Bâ™ | Aâ™ | F | Eâ™ | Bâ™m | Fm | Eâ™m |
| Fret 2 | D | B | A | F♯/G♠| E | Bm | F♯m | Em |
| Fret 3 | Eâ™ | C | Bâ™ | G | F | Cm | Gm | Fm |
| Fret 4 | E | C♯/D♠| B | A♠| F♯/G♠| C♯m | G♯m | F♯m |
| Fret 5 | F | D | C | A | G | Dm | Am | Gm |
| Fret 6 | F♯/Gâ™ | Eâ™ | C♯/Dâ™ | Bâ™ | Aâ™ | Eâ™m | Bâ™m | G♯m |
| Fret 7 | G | E | D | B | A | Em | Bm | Am |
| Fret 8 | Aâ™ | F | Eâ™ | C | Bâ™ | Fm | Cm | Bâ™m |
| Fret 9 | A | F♯/G♠| E | C♯/D♠| B | F♯m | C♯m | Bm |
How a capo works
A capo clamps across the neck and acts like a new nut. Every fret it moves up raises every string by one half step, so the chord shapes you already know sound higher without changing your fingering.
- Match a singer's range: keep your favorite G–C–D shapes and move the capo until the song sits comfortably for the voice.
- Play along with recordings that use keys like Bâ™ or Eâ™ without barre chords.
- Get a brighter sound: two guitars playing the same song with different shapes and capo positions sound fuller together.
Questions
How do you read a capo chart?
Find the chord shape you're fingering along the top and the capo fret down the side. Where they meet is the chord that actually sounds. A G shape with the capo on fret 2 sounds as A.
What key is capo 2 with G chords?
A major. Each fret raises the pitch by a half step, so G moves up two half steps to A.
Where should I put the capo to play in Bâ™?
Capo 1 with A shapes, capo 3 with G shapes, or capo 6 with E shapes. Capo 3 with G, C and D shapes is the most common choice.
Does a capo change the chord names I should call out?
Musicians without a capo need the sounding chord names from the chart. Other capo players can use the shape names.