Chord transposer: change the key of a song
Paste the chords, pick the key the song is in and the key you want. Every chord moves by the same number of semitones, keeps its quality, and is spelled with the sharps or flats the new key uses.
Updated
How to transpose by hand
- Count the semitones from the old key to the new one. C to Eb is 3 (C, C#, D, Eb).
- Move the root of every chord up by that number. Am7 becomes Cm7.
- Keep everything after the root as it was: 7, maj7, m7b5, sus4, 13.
- Move the bass note of slash chords too. G7/B becomes Bb7/D.
- Spell the result with the accidentals of the new key: Ab in Eb, not G#.
Chords in every major key
The six chords most songs are built from. A I-vi-IV-V song in G (G, Em, C, D) moved to Bb uses the same columns: Bb, Gm, Eb, F.
| Key | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C | Dm | Em | F | G | Am |
| Db | Db | Ebm | Fm | Gb | Ab | Bbm |
| D | D | Em | F#m | G | A | Bm |
| Eb | Eb | Fm | Gm | Ab | Bb | Cm |
| E | E | F#m | G#m | A | B | C#m |
| F | F | Gm | Am | Bb | C | Dm |
| F# | F# | G#m | A#m | B | C# | D#m |
| G | G | Am | Bm | C | D | Em |
| Ab | Ab | Bbm | Cm | Db | Eb | Fm |
| A | A | Bm | C#m | D | E | F#m |
| Bb | Bb | Cm | Dm | Eb | F | Gm |
| B | B | C#m | D#m | E | F# | G#m |
After you change the key, tell the band
Transposing the chart is the easy part. The trouble starts when the singer moves a tune down a step and half the band still has the old key in their head, or a sub learns it from the record.
Setlist does not hold chord charts. It holds the key you actually play each song in, next to the tempo and the arrangement notes, and shows it to everyone in the band on the gig. Change it once and the whole band sees the new key. See what your band's song list is probably missing.
Common questions
How do I transpose chords to another key?
Count the semitones from the old key to the new one, then move every chord root (and every slash bass note) up by that many semitones. Keep the chord quality. C to Eb is 3 semitones up, so Am7 becomes Cm7 and G7/B becomes Bb7/D.
Should the transposed chords use sharps or flats?
Follow the key signature of the new key. F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db and Gb use flats, so a chart in Eb says Ab, not G#. The other major keys use sharps. This tool spells chords that way automatically.
How do I find a better key for a singer?
Find the highest and lowest notes of the melody and compare them with the comfortable range of the singer. If the top note is two semitones too high, move the song down two semitones, for example from D to C.
Does it work with jazz chords and slash chords?
Yes. Extensions and alterations such as maj7, m7b5, 7#9, 13, sus4 and add9 stay as written, and the bass note after a slash moves with the root.
Will it change words in my lyrics?
It only changes tokens that look like chord symbols, so most words stay as they are. A single capital letter A on a lyric line looks exactly like an A chord, so paste chord lines rather than full lyric sheets.