Chord transposer for guitar and ukulele

What does transposing chords mean?

Transposition means moving all the notes of a piece up or down by the same musical distance. The pitch changes, while the relationships between the notes stay the same. When working with chord symbols, move each chord's root by the same number of semitones and keep its chord type.

For example, raising C major by two semitones gives D major. Cm becomes Dm, and C7 becomes D7. Transposing does not turn a major chord into a minor chord: changing a song's mode is a different musical decision. Keep the minor and seventh markings when you move the roots.

This is useful when accompanying a singer, arranging a song for another instrument or choosing more comfortable chord shapes. If you play with other musicians, agree on the key that should actually sound. The melody, bass line and accompaniment must all move together to preserve their original relationships.

How to use this online chord transposer

1. Choose Guitar or Ukulele. The chord names stay the same, but the finger diagrams and reference sounds follow the selected instrument.
2. Enter your progression. Choose a root note in each card and keep the chords in the order they appear in your song. Repeated chords can have their own cards.
3. Set the chord type. Leave both options unchecked for major, select m for minor, or 7 for a dominant seventh. Select both for a minor seventh, such as Am7.
4. Adjust the semitones. Press + to raise the whole progression or − to lower it. One step is a semitone; two steps make a whole tone.
5. Read the results. Each card shows the transposed chord below its controls. Reset to 0 restores the original pitch without clearing the chord choices.

Start with the eight available cards, use + 1 chord after the last card to add one at a time, or choose + Add 8 chords to add a group. For a ten-chord progression, add two individual cards. Use the × button on a card to remove it; the remaining cards keep their notes and are numbered again in order.

Choose Compact view when you only need the chord symbols and editing controls. It hides diagrams, playback buttons and audio help so that more cards fit on screen. Switching views keeps your current progression, and the browser remembers your view preference when storage is available. The progression itself lasts for the current page session: reloading starts a new one.

Listen to a chord or check each string

Select Listen to hear the resulting chord, or By string to hear its strings in sequence. Guitar playback goes from string 6 to string 1; ukulele playback goes from string 4 to string 1. An excluded guitar string is marked with a muted tap and “Do not play”. It should not ring open as part of that fingering.

The reference is synthesized at A4 = 440 Hz using the displayed positions. Guitar uses standard E–A–D–G–B–E tuning, and ukulele uses high G–C–E–A. Compare the pitches by ear and adjust the playback volume as needed. The tool does not listen through your microphone or judge your playing, so it does not replace a tuner. Click a diagram to enlarge the fingering.

Tones, semitones and the chromatic scale

A semitone, also called a half step, is the distance between two adjacent pitches in the twelve-note chromatic system used here. A whole tone, or whole step, equals two semitones. The sequence repeats after B, starting again at C one octave higher.

Count the steps between notes, rather than counting the starting note. C to D is two steps: C → C# → D. E to F and B to C each take only one step. Those two gaps are easy to overlook when transposing a progression by hand.

A sharp (#) raises a note by one semitone; a flat (♭) lowers it by one semitone. In equal temperament, C# and D♭ have the same pitch, although the spelling depends on the musical context. This tool displays sharps. If your chart says B♭, select A#; use D# for E♭, F# for G♭ and G# for A♭.

Chord transposition examples and reference table

Enter C – G – Am – F, selecting the minor option on the third card. Raise the progression by two semitones and the result is D – A – Bm – G. Every root moves the same distance, and the minor chord remains minor.

If a song is in C major and you want it in G major, you can raise it seven semitones or lower it five. The resulting chord names are the same, but those two directions put a transposed melody an octave apart. Choose the direction that suits the singer's range.

Sevenths follow the same rule. Raising Am7 – Dm7 – G7 by two semitones gives Bm7 – Em7 – A7. Check every suffix: accidentally dropping an m or a 7 changes the harmony, even if you moved the root correctly.

Transposing guitar chords and using a capo

On guitar, you can change key by playing a different set of chord shapes. To raise C – G – Am – F by two semitones, play D – A – Bm – G. This lets you choose fingerings and a position on the neck that suit the sound you want.

A capo offers another approach. Placing it at fret 2 raises the open strings by two semitones. Playing C – G – Am – F shapes relative to that capo produces D – A – Bm – G. The shape names describe what your fingers do; the sounding chord names describe what the listener hears.

A capo raises the effective tuning; it cannot lower a song on its own. To go lower, choose different chords or consider a different tuning. The diagrams and audio here use standard tuning without an additional capo, so account for your capo position when comparing them with your instrument.

How to transpose a song for ukulele

The rules are the same on ukulele and guitar. C is still C, and Am is still Am. You can take the chord names from a guitar song, select Ukulele and use the corresponding fingerings without changing the song's key.

The shapes differ because the instruments have different string counts and tunings. These ukulele diagrams use G–C–E–A, with a high G in the reference audio. A low-G ukulele uses the same fret positions, but its fourth string sounds an octave lower. A baritone ukulele tuned D–G–B–E needs different fingering references.

When looking for easier chords, try shifting by one or two semitones and check the entire progression. A key that makes one chord easier may introduce a harder shape elsewhere. Test the changes while singing as well: comfortable finger positions and a comfortable vocal range both matter.

Finding a comfortable key for your voice

Start with the most demanding part of the song, often the chorus. If the high notes feel strained, try lowering the progression by one or two semitones. If the low notes are difficult to project, try moving it up. Make small changes and sing the passage again before deciding.

Then try the whole song. A key that makes the chorus comfortable can leave the verse too low. Aim for a range that lets you sing both ends comfortably while keeping the character of the melody.

If you practise along with a recording, changing only your chords will make them clash with a recording that stays in the original key. Use a backing track in the new key or accompany yourself. This page transposes chord symbols and provides reference sounds; it does not process uploaded recordings or detect their key.

Common mistakes when changing key

• Moving chords by different amounts. Apply the same shift throughout the song, including passing chords.
• Assuming the first chord names the key. A song does not have to begin on its tonic chord.
• Forgetting the melody or bass. Other musical parts must move too if you want to keep the original relationships.
• Choosing a key for just one easy shape. Play the whole progression and check how it fits the voice.

Frequently asked questions about transposing chords

What is the difference between 7, m7 and maj7?

C7 is a major triad with a minor seventh. Cm7 has a minor third and a minor seventh. Cmaj7 has a major third and a major seventh. Here, the 7 option adds a minor seventh: use it alone for C7 or with m for Cm7. Major sevenths, suspended chords and other extensions are not included in the selectors.

How do C, D, E names relate to Do, Re, Mi?

The equivalents used by the Spanish version are C = Do, D = Re, E = Mi, F = Fa, G = Sol, A = La and B = Si. Suffixes are preserved, so Am corresponds to Lam, G7 to Sol7 and D#m7 to Re#m7.

Can I transpose slash chords such as C/E?

There is no separate bass-note field. Move the root and the indicated bass by the same amount: C/E raised two semitones becomes D/F#. You can calculate each root separately, but the diagram and audio show the supported chord shape rather than a custom slash-chord voicing.

Why do chord names repeat after twelve semitones?

Twelve semitones make an octave. A melody moved that far has a higher or lower register, but its note names repeat. The tool returns to the same reference chord diagram and sound when the chord name repeats; it does not move that fingering an octave along the neck.

Can I use exactly ten chord cards?

Yes. Start with eight and click + 1 chord twice. Remove any unwanted card with its × button. You can also add groups of eight, and the current transposition applies to every card you add.

Can I hide the diagrams and sound controls?

Use Compact view to focus on chord names and editing. Click it again to restore the diagrams and audio without changing your progression. The preference is remembered in this browser when local storage is available.

Do I need to install the Android app?

No. The transposer works in a browser on a phone, tablet or computer. If you prefer an app, the Android app on Google Play is linked at the top of the page.

Is the chord transposer free?

Yes. Transposition, diagrams, reference playback and compact view are free to use. Donations through the support section are voluntary and help maintain the project; you do not need to donate to use its features.