Guitar Capo Chart: Which Fret to Use for Any Key

Short answer: a capo raises every string by one semitone per fret. So if you play the shapes for G with a capo on the 2nd fret, the song actually sounds in A. Move the capo up one fret, everything moves up one semitone.

That single sentence is the whole theory. The chart below is just that arithmetic done for you, so you can stop counting on your fingers mid rehearsal.

The capo chart

Find the key you want down the left. Read across to the shapes you would rather play. The number is the fret your capo goes on.

Key of A: G shapes, capo 2 · E shapes, capo 5 · D shapes, capo 7
Key of B: G shapes, capo 4 · A shapes, capo 2 · E shapes, capo 7
Key of C: G shapes, capo 5 · A shapes, capo 3 · E shapes, capo 8
Key of D: C shapes, capo 2 · G shapes, capo 7 · A shapes, capo 5
Key of E: D shapes, capo 2 · C shapes, capo 4 · G shapes, capo 9
Key of F: E shapes, capo 1 · D shapes, capo 3 · C shapes, capo 5
Key of G: E shapes, capo 3 · D shapes, capo 5 · C shapes, capo 7
Key of Bb: G shapes, capo 3 · A shapes, capo 1 · E shapes, capo 6
Key of Eb: D shapes, capo 1 · C shapes, capo 3 · G shapes, capo 8
Key of F#: E shapes, capo 2 · D shapes, capo 4 · C shapes, capo 6

The five shape families worth knowing are C, A, G, E and D. Those are the ones with open strings, which is what makes them ring.

How to work it out without a chart

Count semitones up the musical alphabet: A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, then back to A. Note that B to C and E to F are one semitone apart, not two. That catches almost everyone out.

Then: shape key plus fret number equals sounding key.

Example. The song is in Bb, which is barre chord territory. G shapes are easy. From G, count up to Bb: G to G# is one, G# to A is two, A to Bb is three. Capo 3, play G shapes, the song sounds in Bb.

Going the other way works too. You have the capo on 4 and you are playing C shapes. C plus four semitones is E. You are in the key of E.

Why bother with a capo at all

Three honest reasons, and one bad one.

To sing it comfortably. This is the real reason most people use a capo. The song is in a key that sits badly in your voice, so you move it until it fits. Nobody in the audience knows or cares which shapes you are using.

To keep the open strings. Barre chords are correct and they also sound duller. Open shapes ring, sustain and sparkle in a way a barre chord will not. A capo lets you keep that sound in any key.

To sound different from the other guitarist. Two guitars playing the same chords in the same position is mud. One player capoed up playing different shapes is an arrangement.

The bad reason: avoiding barre chords forever. A capo is a tool, not a way around learning F. Use both.

Finding the right fret for a song you are learning

The chart assumes you already know the key. Often you do not, because you are learning a song from a recording.

The fastest route is to let your phone work out the key, then read across the chart.

In Larka, the Listen tab hears what is playing and names the key and the chords in real time. If you would rather work from your own playing, record a few bars and it analyses the recording instead, then suggests a capo position when the song sits in a key that would otherwise be all barre chords. A song in F, for example, comes back with a hint to put the capo on 1 and play E shapes.

That turns a five minute guessing game into about ten seconds.

Practical things nobody mentions

Place it just behind the fret, not on top of it. On top buzzes. Too far back pulls the strings sharp.

Retune after you clamp it. Even a good capo pulls the strings slightly sharp, and cheap ones do it badly. Clamp first, tune second, in that order.

Not too tight. People crank the capo until the strings go sharp and then wonder why the guitar sounds out of tune with itself. Just enough pressure to stop the buzz.

Above the 7th fret things get thin. The scale length gets short and the guitar starts to sound like a mandolin. Sometimes that is exactly what you want. Usually it is a sign you should pick a different shape family.

FAQ

Does a capo change the key of a song?
Yes. It raises everything by one semitone per fret. Shapes for G with a capo on 2 sound in A.

Which fret for the key of C using G shapes?
Capo 5. G up five semitones is C.

Does a capo make guitar easier?
It makes hard keys easier by letting you use open shapes instead of barre chords. It does not make the guitar itself easier, and it is not a substitute for learning barre chords.

Can I use a capo on an electric guitar?
Yes, and plenty of players do. The chart is identical. Electric necks are usually thinner, so a lighter clamp is enough.

How do I know what key a song is in?
By ear if you have the training, otherwise let an app tell you. Larka names the key and the chords from a recording or from live audio, which is the quickest way in when you are learning someone else's song.