Easy chord shapes for any key: every capo position ranked, with the shape you play and the chord it sounds side by side.
A capo on the 9th fret raises every string by 9 semitones (major sixth). You keep playing the shapes you know; they just sound higher. With the capo on the 9th fret a C shape sounds as A, a G shape as E, a D shape as B and an Em shape as C♯m.
The calculator above is set to capo 9. Type the shapes you play to see the real chords, or switch to “Play in a key” to find the best capo for any key.
| Shape you play | C | A | G | E | D | Am | Em | Dm | F | C7 | G7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sounds as | A | F♯ | E | C♯ | B | F♯m | C♯m | Bm | D | A7 | E7 |
| Shape you play | D7 | A7 | E7 | B7 | Cmaj7 | Fmaj7 | Am7 | Em7 | Dm7 | Asus4 | Dsus2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sounds as | B7 | F♯7 | C♯7 | G♯7 | Amaj7 | Dmaj7 | F♯m7 | C♯m7 | Bm7 | F♯sus4 | Bsus2 |
Every family of open shapes moves together. C shapes (C, F, G, Am) give A major: A, D, E, F♯m. G shapes (G, C, D, Em) give E major: E, A, B, C♯m. D shapes (D, G, A, Bm) give B major: B, E, F♯, G♯m. A shapes (A, D, E, F♯m) give F♯ major: F♯, B, C♯, D♯m. E shapes (E, A, B, C♯m) give D♭ major: D♭, G♭, A♭, B♭m. Am shapes (Am, Dm, E7, F) give F♯ minor: F♯m, Bm, C♯7, D. Em shapes (Em, Am, B7, C) give C♯ minor: C♯m, F♯m, G♯7, A. Dm shapes (Dm, Gm, A7, B♭) give B minor: Bm, Em, F♯7, G.
Capo 9 is not the first choice for any key: every key has an easier position nearby. It is still useful to match a recording or to play a second guitar part that sits above the first.
This high the guitar sounds like a mandolin or a small-bodied guitar: thin, bright and sparkly. Use it for a second guitar part, a lullaby feel or a high harmony, rather than as the only guitar. The strings now vibrate over about 59.5% of their open length, so every note is 68.2% higher in frequency: the low E string sounds as C♯.
Put the capo straight across, just behind the 9th fret wire (not on top of it), and tight enough that every string rings without buzzing. Then retune if needed: a capo can pull strings slightly sharp.
It raises every chord by 9 semitones: G shapes sound as E, C shapes as A, D shapes as B.
E major. With C shapes it is A major, with D shapes B major, and with Em shapes C♯ minor.
Capo on the 9th fret and play G shapes, or let the capo calculator show every option for E.
It sounds the same as tuning every string up 9 semitones, but it is quicker and safer: tuning that far up would put too much tension on the strings.