A capo chart is a table that shows what chord each open shape sounds as at each capo fret: a G shape with a capo on the 2nd fret sounds as A major, a C shape on the 3rd fret sounds as Eb major, and a D shape on the 5th fret sounds as G major. Read across a row for the fret and down a column for the shape.
What is a capo chart?
A capo chart is a table that shows what chord each open shape sounds as at each capo fret, and it is the quickest way to work out which fret to use for any key. The rows are the capo frets, from no capo to the 7th fret, and the columns are the open chord shapes, C, D, E, G and A, and each cell tells you the chord that shape makes at that fret. A G shape with a capo on the 2nd fret sounds as A major, a C shape on the 3rd fret sounds as Eb major, and a D shape on the 5th fret sounds as G major, and the chart tells you all of that at a glance. The capo chart works because the maths is simple: a capo on fret n raises every shape by n semitones, so the chart is just the open shapes transposed up by each fret in turn. That means you can build the chart yourself, without memorising it, by counting semitones from the shape: a C shape at the 4th fret is C plus four semitones, which is E major, and a G shape at the 5th fret is G plus five semitones, which is C major. The chart is a shortcut for that calculation, and the capo chart tool builds it for any shape and any fret.
How to read a capo chart
Read a capo chart in two directions. To find which fret to use, find the key you want in the table, look at which shape makes it, and read the fret from the first column. To play in Eb major with C shapes, find Eb in the C column, and the fret is the 3rd. To find what a shape sounds as, find the shape in the columns, find the fret in the rows, and read the cell where they meet. A G shape at the 7th fret sounds as D major, because G plus seven semitones is D, and an E shape at the 1st fret sounds as F major, because E plus one semitone is F. The chart also shows which shapes are practical at each fret. At the 2nd fret, the C, G and D shapes make D, A and E major, which are all easy open chords, so the 2nd fret is a popular capo position. At the 3rd fret, the C, G and D shapes make Eb, Bb and F major, which are the chords of Eb major, so the 3rd fret is the position for playing in Eb with open shapes. At the 5th fret, the C, G and D shapes make F, C and G major, which are the chords of F major, so the 5th fret is the position for playing in F with open shapes. The capo calculator works out the fret for any key, and the key of Eb major shows the chords the chart is built for.
Worked example — playing in B major with a capo. B major is a hard key on guitar, because its chords, B, C#m, D#m, E, F#, G#m and A#dim, are mostly barre chords. Look at the capo chart: at the 4th fret, the G shape sounds as B major, because G plus four semitones is B, and the C shape sounds as E major, because C plus four semitones is E, and the D shape sounds as F# major, because D plus four semitones is F#. Put a capo on the 4th fret and play G, C and D shapes, and you are playing the I, IV and V chords of B major with open shapes. The key of B major lists the chords, and the chart tells you the fret.
How to practise with a capo chart
Practise the capo chart by building it yourself, one row at a time, so you learn the maths behind it rather than memorising the table.
- Write out the capo chart for the C, G and D shapes, from no capo to the 7th fret, by counting semitones from each shape.
- Pick a key, such as Eb major, and use the chart to find the fret and the shapes that make its I, IV and V chords.
- Play the I–V–vi–IV progression in C major with a capo on the 2nd fret, and use the chart to name the key it sounds in: D major.
- Take a song in a hard key, such as Ab major, and use the chart to find a capo fret that lets you play it with open shapes.
- Use the capo chart tool to check your chart, and repeat the exercise until you can build the chart from memory.
Common mistakes
- Reading the chart backwards — The rows are the frets and the columns are the shapes, so read across a row for the fret and down a column for the shape. Reading it the other way round gives you the wrong chord.
- Forgetting that the chart only covers open shapes — A capo chart shows what open shapes sound as, not what barre chords sound as. A barre chord at the 3rd fret with a capo on the 2nd fret sounds as a different chord, and the chart does not cover it.
- Using a capo fret that is too high — A capo above the 7th fret makes the guitar sound thin and jangling, and the frets are so close together that the shapes are hard to play. If the chart tells you to use the 9th fret, choose a different shape at a lower fret instead.
Quick reference
This is the capo chart itself: five open shapes across the top, seven capo frets down the side, and the chord each shape makes at each fret in the cells. Use it to find the fret for any key, or to find what any shape sounds as at any fret, and notice how each column moves up by one semitone per fret.
| Capo fret | C shape | G shape | E shape | A shape | D shape |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No capo | C | G | E | A | D |
| 1st fret | C# | G# | F | A# | D# |
| 2nd fret | D | A | F# | B | E |
| 3rd fret | D# | A# | G | C | F |
| 4th fret | E | B | G# | C# | F# |
| 5th fret | F | C | A | D | G |
| 7th fret | G | D | B | E | A |
Memorise the chart by building it yourself, one row at a time, counting semitones from each shape, and checking your answers against the rows. When you can build the chart from memory, you can work out any capo position without looking, and the chart becomes a skill rather than a reference.
Frequently asked questions
What is a capo chart?
A capo chart is a table that shows what chord each open shape sounds as at each capo fret: a G shape with a capo on the 2nd fret sounds as A major, a C shape on the 3rd fret sounds as Eb major, and a D shape on the 5th fret sounds as G major.
How do I read a capo chart?
Find the key you want in the table, look at which shape makes it, and read the fret from the first column. Or find the shape in the columns, find the fret in the rows, and read the cell where they meet to find what the shape sounds as.
Can I build a capo chart myself?
Yes, by counting semitones: a capo on fret n raises every shape by n semitones, so a C shape at the 4th fret is C plus four semitones, which is E major. Build the chart one row at a time, and you will learn the maths behind it.
What is the most useful capo fret?
The 2nd fret, because the C, G and D shapes make D, A and E major, which are the chords of D major, and the 3rd fret, because the same shapes make Eb, Bb and F major, which are the chords of Eb major.
Does a capo chart work for minor chords too?
Yes. The same maths applies: a minor shape at the 2nd fret sounds a whole tone higher, so an Am shape sounds as Bm, and an Em shape sounds as F#m. The chart works for any shape, major or minor.