Capo Chart
A capo just moves the nut. Pick a fret and see exactly what your open shapes are really playing.
Capo on fret 2 — every shape sounds 2 semitones higher.
Major shapes
Minor shapes
Seventh shapes
I want to play in…
Pick the key the song is in, and see where to clamp the capo so you can play it with easy open shapes instead of barre chords.
The full capo chart
Every open shape at every capo position. Find the shape down the side, the capo fret across the top, and read off the chord that sounds.
| Shape | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | D♭ | D | E♭ | E | F | F♯ | G | A♭ | A | B♭ | B |
| A | B♭ | B | C | D♭ | D | E♭ | E | F | F♯ | G | A♭ |
| G | A♭ | A | B♭ | B | C | D♭ | D | E♭ | E | F | F♯ |
| E | F | F♯ | G | A♭ | A | B♭ | B | C | D♭ | D | E♭ |
| D | E♭ | E | F | F♯ | G | A♭ | A | B♭ | B | C | D♭ |
| Am | B♭m | Bm | Cm | D♭m | Dm | E♭m | Em | Fm | F♯m | Gm | A♭m |
| Em | Fm | F♯m | Gm | A♭m | Am | B♭m | Bm | Cm | D♭m | Dm | E♭m |
| Dm | E♭m | Em | Fm | F♯m | Gm | A♭m | Am | B♭m | Bm | Cm | D♭m |
| C7 | D♭7 | D7 | E♭7 | E7 | F7 | F♯7 | G7 | A♭7 | A7 | B♭7 | B7 |
| A7 | B♭7 | B7 | C7 | D♭7 | D7 | E♭7 | E7 | F7 | F♯7 | G7 | A♭7 |
| G7 | A♭7 | A7 | B♭7 | B7 | C7 | D♭7 | D7 | E♭7 | E7 | F7 | F♯7 |
| E7 | F7 | F♯7 | G7 | A♭7 | A7 | B♭7 | B7 | C7 | D♭7 | D7 | E♭7 |
| D7 | E♭7 | E7 | F7 | F♯7 | G7 | A♭7 | A7 | B♭7 | B7 | C7 | D♭7 |
Capo 2 highlighted. Tap any column to move the capo.
How a capo actually works
A capo is a movable nut. Clamp it on the second fret and every open string is now two semitones higher, so the shape your hand knows as G comes out sounding as A. Your fingers do not learn anything new — the whole neck simply shifts.
That is why a capo is not cheating and not only for beginners. It is a tool for choosing which shapes you play a song with. The key of E♭ has no friendly open chords, but put a capo on the third fret and play in C shapes and you are in E♭ with a C, F, G and Am under your hands. Same key, far better voicings, and all those ringing open strings you lose the moment you switch to barre chords.
It also solves the singer's problem. If a song sits a tone too low for your voice, you do not need to relearn it in a new key — move the capo up two frets and play the same shapes.
Getting it right
- 1Place the capo just behind the fret, not on top of it. Right on the fret wire chokes the note; too far back bends the strings sharp.
- 2Tune after you clamp, every time. A capo squeezes the strings into the fretboard and pulls them slightly sharp — the higher up the neck, the worse it gets.
- 3Use only as much pressure as you need. Over-tightening is the single most common cause of a capo playing out of tune.
- 4Past the seventh fret the guitar starts sounding thin and the frets get cramped. If the chart says capo 9, look for a different shape family.
- 5Two guitarists can capo differently and play the same song — one in G shapes at fret 2, one in E shapes at fret 5. Both sound in A, and the interlocking voicings sound far bigger than doubling the same chords.