To transpose chords, move every chord by the same interval: to transpose from C major to D major, move each chord up by a whole tone, so C becomes D, F becomes G, and G becomes A. The chord qualities stay the same, and the progression keeps its shape in the new key.
How do you transpose chords?
Transposing chords means moving a chord progression from one key to another, by moving every chord by the same interval. To transpose from C major to D major, move each chord up by a whole tone, two semitones, so C becomes D, F becomes G, and G becomes A, and Am becomes Bm, because the minor chord moves up by the same interval. The chord qualities stay the same, a major chord stays major and a minor chord stays minor, and the progression keeps its shape in the new key, because the intervals between the chords have not changed. Transposing is a practical skill that every musician needs, because songs are written in keys that do not always suit the singer or the instrument. A song in Eb major may be too low for a singer, so it is transposed up to E major, and a song in E major may be too hard on guitar, so it is transposed down to D major, where the chords are easier. The chord transposer does the calculation for you, and the capo calculator transposes guitar chords with a capo.
How transposition works
The method is to count the interval between the old key and the new key, and then apply that interval to every chord. To transpose from C major to G major, the interval is a perfect 5th, seven semitones, so C becomes G, F becomes C, and G becomes D, and Am becomes Em, because the minor chord moves up by the same interval. To transpose from G major to C major, the interval is a perfect 4th, five semitones, or a perfect 5th down, so G becomes C, D becomes G, and C becomes F. The interval is the same for every chord, which is why the progression keeps its shape. The easiest way to transpose is to think in scale degrees, not in note names. A I–V–vi–IV progression in C major is C, G, Am, F, and the same progression in G major is G, D, Em, C, because the degrees are the same, I, V, vi, IV, and only the key has changed. That is why the Nashville number system, which writes progressions as numbers, is so useful for transposition: the numbers stay the same, and the key changes underneath them. The I–V–vi–IV progression in C major and the I–V–vi–IV progression in G major show the same progression in two keys.
Worked example — transposing from C major to E major. The interval from C to E is a major 3rd, four semitones, so move every chord up by four semitones. C becomes E, F becomes A, G becomes B, and Am becomes C#m, because the minor chord moves up by the same interval. The progression C, G, Am, F becomes E, B, C#m, A, and the qualities are unchanged: the major chords are still major and the minor chord is still minor. Check the maths: C plus four semitones is E, G plus four semitones is B, A plus four semitones is C#, and F plus four semitones is A. The key of E major lists the chords of the new key.
How to practise transposing chords
Practise transposing by moving a progression you already know to a new key, using scale degrees, so the skill transfers to any key.
- Take the I–V–vi–IV progression in C major and transpose it to G major, D major and F major, moving every chord by the same interval.
- Practise thinking in scale degrees: play a I–V–vi–IV progression in C major, then play the same degrees in G major, without writing the chords down first.
- Transpose a song you know from Eb major to C major, moving every chord down by a minor 3rd, three semitones, and check your answer against the chord transposer.
- Play the chords of the key of D major and then transpose them to the key of A major, moving every chord up by a perfect 5th.
- Use the chord transposer to check your transpositions, and repeat the exercise until you can transpose without the tool.
Common mistakes
- Moving some chords by a different interval — Transposition moves every chord by the same interval, so if you move C to D but G to A, the progression will be wrong. Check that every chord has moved by the same number of semitones.
- Changing the chord qualities — A major chord stays major and a minor chord stays minor when you transpose, because the interval pattern of the chord does not change. If your transposed progression has a major chord where the original had a minor chord, you have moved the wrong note.
- Forgetting the accidentals — Transposing to a sharp key adds sharps, and transposing to a flat key adds flats, and the accidentals must be correct or the chords will be wrong. Check the key signature of the new key before you transpose.
Quick reference
This table shows the chords of C major transposed to three other keys, so you can see that every chord moves by the same interval and the qualities stay the same. Read across a row to see one chord in four keys, and read down a column to see the whole progression in one key.
| Original chord (C major) | Up a whole tone (D major) | Up a 5th (G major) | Down a 5th (F major) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C major | D major | G major | F major |
| D minor | E minor | A minor | G minor |
| E minor | F# minor | B minor | A minor |
| F major | G major | C major | A# major |
| G major | A major | D major | C major |
| A minor | B minor | E minor | D minor |
| B diminished | C# diminished | F# diminished | E diminished |
Use the table as a transposition guide: find the chord you want to transpose in the first column, move across to the column for the new key, and read the transposed chord. When you can transpose the table without looking, try the same exercise with the chords of G major, and build your own transposition table for them.
Frequently asked questions
How do I transpose chords?
Move every chord by the same interval: to transpose from C major to D major, move each chord up by a whole tone, so C becomes D, F becomes G, and G becomes A. The chord qualities stay the same, and the progression keeps its shape in the new key.
What is the easiest way to transpose?
Think in scale degrees, not in note names. A I–V–vi–IV progression is the same degrees in every key, so learn the degrees and the key changes underneath them, instead of memorising a new set of chords for each key.
Do chord qualities change when I transpose?
No. A major chord stays major and a minor chord stays minor, because the interval pattern of the chord does not change when you move it. Only the root note changes, and the quality follows the root.
How do I transpose down?
Move every chord down by the same interval, which is the same as moving up by the inversion of the interval. To transpose down a perfect 5th, move every chord up by a perfect 4th, because the two intervals add up to an octave.
Can I use a capo to transpose?
Yes. A capo transposes the guitar by raising the pitch of every string, so the shapes stay the same and the key changes. A capo on the 2nd fret transposes the guitar up by a whole tone, so C shapes sound as D major.