Capo for the key of E Major
The easiest way to play in E Major is a capo on fret 4, fingering C shapes — same sound, far easier chords.
Chords in E: E · F#m · G#m · A · B · C#m
Capo on fret 4 — play in C shapes
Put the capo on fret 4 and finger in C. You'll play easy open shapes — C, Dm, Em, G, Am. That removes 3 barre chords versus playing it open. The song still sounds in the same key — only the shapes get easier.
All capo positions, ranked by ease
Put the capo on fret 4 and finger in C. You'll play easy open shapes — C, Dm, Em, G, Am. That removes 3 barre chords versus playing it open. The song still sounds in the same key — only the shapes get easier.
Chords in the key of E Major
These are the chords you'll most often see in E Major. Tap-free diagrams below.
Why a capo helps in E Major
Some keys sit awkwardly on the guitar — they need barre chords that are tough for beginners and tiring on a long set. A capo lets you keep the sound of E Major while fingering shapes from an easier key. Here, a capo on fret 4 lets you play comfortable C shapes that sound in E Major.
Use the calculator above to compare every capo position, or switch it to From chords to paste the exact chords from your song.
Transpose a whole chart
Got a full chord sheet in E Major? Upload it and transpose every chord in place, then export a clean, print-ready PDF with a capo banner stamped on.
Open the chart transposer