Transposing

The transposition chart: shift any note by semitones, the seven chords of every major and minor key side by side, plus capo and transposing instruments.

Transposing means moving a piece into another key: every note and every chord travels the same distance. The melody stays the same, only the range changes — lower for a dark voice, higher for a bright one, or into the key where the shapes are easier.

Three steps

Count the distance. From the old key to the new one in semitones. The chart below shows every distance.
Shift every chord. By the same distance, in the same direction. The quality of the chord — major, minor, seventh — stays as it was.
Spell it right. In flat keys the chords are written with flats, in sharp keys with sharps. Which name applies is decided by the target key, not by the piano key.

If you would rather not count, paste a chord sheet and get it back in any key: Transposer

Shifting notes by semitones

Each row starts on a note and rises in semitones. To raise a note by five semitones, read its row in the +5 column. Downwards you count backwards: seven semitones down is five up (12 − 7). Black keys carry both names — which one applies is decided by the target key.

Note	+1	+2	+3	+4	+5	+6	+7	+8	+9	+10	+11
C	C♯D♭	D	D♯E♭	E	F	F♯G♭	G	G♯A♭	A	A♯B♭	B
C♯D♭	D	D♯E♭	E	F	F♯G♭	G	G♯A♭	A	A♯B♭	B	C
D	D♯E♭	E	F	F♯G♭	G	G♯A♭	A	A♯B♭	B	C	C♯D♭
D♯E♭	E	F	F♯G♭	G	G♯A♭	A	A♯B♭	B	C	C♯D♭	D
E	F	F♯G♭	G	G♯A♭	A	A♯B♭	B	C	C♯D♭	D	D♯E♭
F	F♯G♭	G	G♯A♭	A	A♯B♭	B	C	C♯D♭	D	D♯E♭	E
F♯G♭	G	G♯A♭	A	A♯B♭	B	C	C♯D♭	D	D♯E♭	E	F
G	G♯A♭	A	A♯B♭	B	C	C♯D♭	D	D♯E♭	E	F	F♯G♭
G♯A♭	A	A♯B♭	B	C	C♯D♭	D	D♯E♭	E	F	F♯G♭	G
A	A♯B♭	B	C	C♯D♭	D	D♯E♭	E	F	F♯G♭	G	G♯A♭
A♯B♭	B	C	C♯D♭	D	D♯E♭	E	F	F♯G♭	G	G♯A♭	A
B	C	C♯D♭	D	D♯E♭	E	F	F♯G♭	G	G♯A♭	A	A♯B♭

Chords in every key

The transposition chart proper. Each row is a key, each column a degree. Find the chord of the song in the row of the old key, then read the same column in the row of the new one. Every chord is linked, every key leads to its progressions.

Major keys

Key	I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	vii°
C major	C	Dm	Em	F	G	Am	Bdim
G major	G	Am	Bm	C	D	Em	F#dim
D major	D	Em	F#m	G	A	Bm	C#dim
A major	A	Bm	C#m	D	E	F#m	G#dim
E major	E	F#m	G#m	A	B	C#m	D#dim
B major	B	C#m	D#m	E	F#	G#m	A#dim
F major	F	Gm	Am	Bb	C	Dm	Edim
Bb major	Bb	Cm	Dm	Eb	F	Gm	Adim
Eb major	Eb	Fm	Gm	Ab	Bb	Cm	Ddim
Ab major	Ab	Bbm	Cm	Db	Eb	Fm	Gdim
Db major	Db	Ebm	Fm	Gb	Ab	Bbm	Cdim
F# major	F#	G#m	A#m	B	C#	D#m	E#dim

Minor keys

Key	i	ii°	III	iv	v	VI	VII
A minor	Am	Bdim	C	Dm	Em	F	G
E minor	Em	F#dim	G	Am	Bm	C	D
B minor	Bm	C#dim	D	Em	F#m	G	A
F# minor	F#m	G#dim	A	Bm	C#m	D	E
C# minor	C#m	D#dim	E	F#m	G#m	A	B
G# minor	G#m	A#dim	B	C#m	D#m	E	F#
D minor	Dm	Edim	F	Gm	Am	Bb	C
G minor	Gm	Adim	Bb	Cm	Dm	Eb	F
C minor	Cm	Ddim	Eb	Fm	Gm	Ab	Bb
F minor	Fm	Gdim	Ab	Bbm	Cm	Db	Eb
Bb minor	Bbm	Cdim	Db	Ebm	Fm	Gb	Ab
Eb minor	Ebm	Fdim	Gb	Abm	Bbm	Cb	Db

With a capo

A capo transposes for you: the open shapes stay, everything sounds as many semitones higher as the fret counts. To play a song with easier shapes, find the fret that makes up the distance.

Shape	C	D	E	G	A	Am	Em	Dm
Capo 1	Db	Eb	F	Ab	Bb	Bbm	Fm	Ebm
Capo 2	D	E	F#	A	B	Bm	F#m	Em
Capo 3	Eb	F	G	Bb	C	Cm	Gm	Fm
Capo 4	E	F#	Ab	B	Db	C#m	G#m	F#m
Capo 5	F	G	A	C	D	Dm	Am	Gm
Capo 6	F#	Ab	Bb	Db	Eb	Ebm	Bbm	G#m
Capo 7	G	A	B	D	E	Em	Bm	Am

More about this with the easy guitar chords.

Transposing instruments

Trumpet, clarinet, saxophone and horn read different notes from the ones they sound. Writing for them means transposing the other way.

The chart for that, with notation and sound.

Keys · Circle of fifths · Chord progressions · Intervals

Anotona does this for you

Photograph a page of sheet music or play the melody — Anotona finds the key, engraves the notes and transposes them into any other. Free.

See Anotona

Every note on this page is computed, not typed in — following the rule that also makes F# major spell its seventh degree E#, not F.