My Chord Finder

A PRACTICAL KEY CHANGE

How to Transpose Chords

Move a progression to a new key while keeping its chord qualities intact.

  1. 1 Select the song's current key
  2. 2 Select the key you need
  3. 3 Move every root and slash bass; keep each chord type

LIVE CHORD ROOT MAP

Compare two keys

Change a selector to refresh all twelve root pairs.

C to D: all twelve chord roots
Current root New root

Keep each chord suffix, such as m or 7. For a slash chord, look up the bass note after the slash on its own row.

Find the distance between the keys

Transposing shifts every chord root by one shared musical distance. Moving from G to A is two semitones upward; the same two-step move applies to every root in the progression. Set those keys above and let the interval line confirm the direction and distance.

The table lists chromatic roots, including notes that are not part of either key's basic scale. That lets you carry a borrowed chord or passing chord with the rest of the harmony instead of leaving it behind.

Transpose a progression, including its bass notes

Start with G – D/F♯ – Em – C and move it from G to A. G becomes A; D/F♯ becomes E/G♯; Em becomes F♯m; and C becomes D. The result is A – E/G♯ – F♯m – D.

Notice that D/F♯ contains two notes to move: D is the chord root and F♯ is the bass. Look up each one in the same two-key table. Keep the suffix attached to its root, so Em remains minor as F♯m; changing the key does not turn a minor chord into a major one.

Use the result for the right instrument

This root map suits a player updating a chord sheet, a singer choosing a more comfortable range, or a band agreeing on a sounding key. It names the pitches the music should produce. It does not choose guitar fingerings or a capo position: if your goal is easier shapes, decide how to play those sounding chords separately.

The spelling control uses a consistent sharp or flat set. Enharmonic names such as A♯ and B♭ share a pitch, so the selected option may not match the most conventional key-signature spelling for every destination key.

For a complete pasted chord sheet, use Transpose chords. For another key-to-key root reference, see the chord transposition chart.

Save the comparison you selected

Download SVG builds a fresh image from the current keys and sharp-or-flat setting. The file contains that twelve-root map, so you can keep or print the comparison you just made; change a selector first when you want a different pair of keys.

One common question

How do you transpose guitar chords?

Whether you are changing a guitar chord sheet or learning the process at the instrument, choose the current and destination keys, move every root by the same interval, preserve each chord quality, and transpose any slash bass too. The table names sounding pitches; guitar shapes and capo choices are separate decisions.