Capo on the 4th Fret
A capo on the 4th fret raises every string by 4 semitones. Your hands keep playing shapes they already know; the guitar sounds a different key. Play a G shape and the room hears B.
What each shape sounds like at fret 4
Find the shape you are fingering on the left; the chord everyone else hears is on the right.
The shapes themselves
These are the open shapes above, fingered exactly as normal — the capo at fret 4 does the rest.
What key does a capo on 4 put me in?
Read across from the key your chart is written in — the shapes column is what your hands actually play.
Fitting the capo at the 4th fret
- 1Clamp the capo just behind the 4th fret — on the headstock side of the fret wire, not on top of it.
- 2Keep it square across all six strings and use only enough tension to stop buzzing; over-tightening pulls the strings sharp.
- 3Re-check your tuning. A capo almost always sharpens things slightly, and it gets worse the further up the neck you go.
- 4Play your shapes exactly as written. Everything now sounds 4 semitones higher — a G shape becomes B.
- 5If a string chokes or buzzes, nudge the capo a millimetre closer to the fret and strum again.
Songs that suit a capo on 4
These keys become easy open shapes at this position — if your chart is in one of them, the 4th fret is a strong candidate.
Frequently asked questions
- What key am I in with a capo on the 4th fret?
- Whatever key your shapes are in, plus 4 semitones. Finger G shapes with a capo on 4th and you are sounding in B; finger C shapes and you are in E.
- What does a capo on the 4th fret do to my chords?
- Nothing to your hands — every shape stays exactly as you learned it. The capo raises all six strings by 4 semitones, so a C shape comes out as E, a G shape as B, a D shape as F♯, and an Am shape as D♭m.
- Why is the 4th fret such a common capo position?
- Low positions like the 4th fret keep the guitar sounding full and natural while unlocking the sharp and flat keys that would otherwise need barre chords. Frets 1 to 4 cover most of what a singer will ask for.
- Does a capo on the 4th fret put the guitar out of tune?
- It can, if you clamp it too hard or place it too far behind the fret. Sit the capo just behind the fret wire, use the lightest tension that stops buzzing, and re-check your tuning after fitting it — pressure sharpens the strings, and the higher up the neck you go, the more noticeable it gets.
Not sure fret 4 is the right one?
Paste your song's chords into the capo calculator. It scores every position from 0 to 9 by how many chords land on easy open shapes, and tells you which one your hand will thank you for.
Find the best capo position