One fret, one semitone
A full capo shortens all six strings. Every fret raises every note by one semitone (half step). Capo 2 raises a G shape to A; capo 5 raises it to C.
01 · Explore
A new home for familiar chords
You play
+Capo
=You hear
02 · Find a position
Which shape gets me there?
Choose the chord you want to hear. Try a matching open shape.
Positions 0–9, using the shapes in this lab. Lower positions leave more room on the neck.
03 · Play together
Take a progression with you
Each card shows shape → sounding chord at the current capo position. Select one to see its fingering.
The learning guide
Think of the capo as a movable nut.
Shape ≠ sounding chord
“Play a G shape” describes your fingers relative to the capo. “It sounds as A” names the actual chord. Tell other musicians the sounding chord so you can play together.
Keep the chord’s character
Moving the capo changes the root, but keeps the quality: minor stays minor, and a seventh stays a seventh. All chords in a progression shift by the same number of semitones.
Put it into practice
Place the capo just behind the fret wire, toward the headstock. Use enough pressure for clear notes, then check your tuning. Count your chord fingering from the capo as if it were fret zero. The fretboard above keeps the guitar’s physical fret numbers.
Try G, C, D, Em with capo 2: you hear A, D, E, F♯m. This raises the progression a whole step while keeping familiar fingerings. To keep a song in the same key with a different capo position, choose different shapes.
Can a capo lower a song or make every chord easy?
A capo raises pitch for a given shape. To play in a lower key, transpose the shapes; you may then find a useful capo position. A capo can help avoid some barre chords, but it does not turn every chord into an open shape. Higher positions also give a brighter sound and less room for your fingers.
Why do some notes have two names?
C♯ and D♭ name the same pitch on this guitar; these are enharmonic names. Use the note-name selector to read sharps or flats. This tool uses a simplified chromatic spelling; written music may spell notes differently to fit a key.
Check your understanding