Transpose chords to any key
Paste your chart, pick the new key, copy the result. Chords move; lyrics stay put; every symbol is spelled the way the new key writes it.
A A7 D A
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
A F#m E
that saved a wretch like me.How transposing works
Transposing moves every chord by the same interval. Count the semitones between your old key and the new one, and each chord climbs that many steps: two semitones take G to A, Em to F#m, C to D. The shape of the song (which numeral each chord is in the key) never changes; only the letters do. That is why a capo works: it transposes the whole guitar without anyone rewriting the chart.
The part tools usually get wrong is spelling. The note between F and G is F# in some keys and Gb in others, and reading musicians care: a chart in Db that says C#m makes a player stumble. This transposer uses the same music-theory engine as the SongSheet editor, so each chord is re-spelled by the destination key’s convention: sharps in sharp keys, flats in flat keys, slash basses included.
Singers usually ask for a new key by where the melody sits. If the song strains at the top, come down a couple of semitones; if it sits low and muddy, go up. Guitarists who want easy shapes can transpose to G, C, or D and use a capo to land back at the singer’s pitch: same chart, friendlier grips.
Want the chart to stay transposable forever, with the palette, numerals and capo math following along? Keep it in SongSheet: it’s free and your songs stay on your device.
Questions
How do I transpose chords to another key?
Every chord moves by the same number of semitones. From G to A is two semitones up, so G becomes A, Em becomes F#m, C becomes D. This tool does that for a whole chart at once and re-spells each chord the way the new key writes it.
Why does the same note show as F# in one key and Gb in another?
Keys spell notes so each scale letter appears once. In the key of D the third is F#; in the key of Db the fourth is Gb. They sound the same, but reading musicians expect the spelling that matches the key, which is what this transposer produces.
Will it change my lyrics?
No. A line is only transposed when everything on it reads as chords (bar lines and repeat marks are fine). Lyric lines pass through untouched, and [bracketed] inline chords transpose wherever they appear.
Chords by key
Looking for what lives inside a key before you transpose into it?