Guitar capo chart
A capo raises every open string by one half step per fret, so the same shape sounds higher. Read across a row to see what a shape sounds like at each capo position.
Find your capo position
- Capo 1play A-shape chords
- Capo 3play G-shape chords
- Capo 6play E-shape chords
- Capo 8play D-shape chords (high on the neck)
- Capo 10play C-shape chords (high on the neck)
Capo chart
Questions
How does a capo change the key?
Each fret raises the pitch by a half step. A G shape with a capo on fret 2 sounds as A; on fret 5 it sounds as C.
Do I name chords by the shape or the sound?
Most chord sheets name the shapes you play and say 'capo 2' at the top. Musicians playing without a capo need the sounding chords from this chart.
What's the best capo position for a song in Bb?
Capo 1 with A shapes or capo 3 with G shapes. Both let you use open chords instead of barre chords.