The Best Capo Position for Every Key

A quick reference to the easiest capo position and open-chord shapes for every major and minor key, with a dedicated page for each.

Some keys are friendly on guitar and play with open chords; others need barre chords that are tiring and hard for beginners. A capo lets you keep the sound of a difficult key while fingering shapes from an easy one. Below is a jumping-off point to the easiest capo for every key — each link opens a full breakdown with the recommended fret, the chords in that key, and printable diagrams.

Prefer to enter your own song? The capo calculator takes a key or your exact chords and finds the most comfortable capo position instantly.

Major keys

Minor keys

New to capos? Start with how to use a capo. Need a different key to sing in first? See how to transpose a song.

Try it on your song

Find the easiest capo with the calculator, or upload a chord chart and transpose every chord in place.