Chord Transposer — shift keys by semitones
Transpose chord progressions up or down by semitones, preserving chord types, in your browser.
🔒 Runs entirely in your browser. Your input and output are never sent to a server or stored — fully private.
Only the chord root (and slash bass) is shifted — suffixes like m7, sus4 and maj7 are preserved.
About this tool
Chord Transposer shifts a whole chord progression up or down by any number of semitones while keeping each chord's type intact, so Am7 becomes Bm7 a tone higher. Paste in your chords, choose how far to move, and read off the progression in its new key — perfect for matching a singer's range or simplifying the shapes you have to play. It works entirely in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
How many semitones should I transpose?
Count the distance between your current key and the one you want — up a whole tone is two semitones, for example. If you are transposing for a vocalist, move in small steps and stop when the melody sits comfortably in their range.
Does it keep my chord qualities?
Yes — major, minor, seventh, sus and slash chords all keep their quality; only the root (and any bass note) moves, so the harmony stays identical, just in a new key.
Will the result use sharps or flats?
The spelling follows the key you land in, because that is what makes a part readable. Transposing up a semitone from C major gives D-flat major, written with flats, rather than C-sharp major with its seven sharps — the notes sound identical but one has five accidentals in the signature and the other has seven. If you need the opposite spelling, transpose to the enharmonic key instead and the accidentals flip.
How do I work out the transposition when using a capo?
A capo raises everything by one semitone per fret, so a capo on the third fret means the chord shapes you finger sound three semitones higher. If a song is in E-flat and you would rather play open C shapes, put the capo on the third fret and transpose the chart down three semitones to C. Enter the negative shift here to get the shapes you should actually finger; our capo tool does the same job starting from the fret number.
How do I prepare a part for a transposing instrument?
Write the part at the pitch the player must read, which is the opposite direction to how the instrument sounds. A B-flat trumpet sounds a major 2nd below the written note, so a concert-pitch line must be transposed up two semitones for the player; an E-flat alto saxophone sounds a major 6th below, so its part goes up nine semitones. Transpose the whole chart in one pass here, then check the key signature reads sensibly for the player rather than for you.