Chord Transposer
Move a chord chart from one key to another, keeping the layout and the spelling right.
Transposed
| D Bm | G A |
Moved up a major second, 2 semitones. 4 chords recognised.
A song sits too high for the singer, or the guitar wants a key with open strings. Paste the chart, say where it is and where it should go, and the chords move while the bar lines, the repeats and the words stay where they were.
How it works
The distance between the two keys is worked out as an interval, not as a number of semitones, and every chord is moved by that interval. That is what keeps the spelling sensible: going from C to D moves everything up a major second, so Am becomes Bm and F becomes G rather than an assortment of sharps and flats.
A token is transposed only if it reads as a chord. Bar lines, repeat marks, section names and lyrics are copied through untouched, and the count of chords recognised is shown so that a symbol that was quietly skipped does not go unnoticed.
Examples
| Case | Input | Result |
|---|---|---|
| C to D | | C Am | F G | | | D Bm | G A | |
| A slash chord keeps its bass | C/E | D/F# |
Frequently asked questions
One of my chords was not transposed.
It was not recognised as a chord, so it was left alone rather than mangled. Check the symbol against the ones the chord finder lists; unusual alterations and shorthand from a particular songbook may not be in the catalogue.
Should I go up or down?
Whichever puts the melody where it can be sung. Transposing from C to A is down a minor third and from C to A an octave higher is up a major sixth; the chord names are the same either way, only the register differs.
Why is my new key full of sharps?
Because you asked for it: transposing to F sharp gives F sharp chords. If the result is awkward to read, try the enharmonic key instead — G flat rather than F sharp — which sounds identical and may be written far more simply.
Good to know
- Anything that does not read as a chord is copied through untouched. That is what keeps lyrics, bar lines and section names intact, and it also means a mistyped chord name is copied rather than corrected.
- The progression is shareable, which means it travels in the URL. A share link is a browser history entry and whatever it gets pasted into, so use it for chords rather than for words you would rather keep.