Transpose C Major to B Major
Every chord moves 11 semitones up (the same as 1 down). B Major sits below C Major here, so a capo cannot make this move — you need the chart rewritten.
Distance
+11 semitones
Capo shortcut
Not possible
Difficulty change
Harder
Chord conversion chart
The chords of C Major and what each one becomes in B Major. This is the table to keep next to you while you mark up a chart by hand.
The chords you'll be playing in B Major
Tap a diagram for its full fingering.
How to transpose from C Major to B Major
By hand, in five steps — or in one click at the bottom of this page.
- 1Work out the distance: C Major to B Major is 11 semitones up, or 1 semitone down — the same destination either way.
- 2Move every chord root by that distance. C Major's home chord becomes B, and every other chord shifts by exactly the same amount.
- 3Keep each chord's quality untouched. A minor chord stays minor, a 7th stays a 7th — only the root letter moves.
- 4Respell the accidentals to match the destination key. B Major carries 5 sharps, so write the notes the way that key spells them.
- 5Check any bass note written after a slash, and any chord borrowed from outside the key — those move by the same distance as everything else.
Every note, transposed
Charts wander outside the key all the time — a passing major chord, a borrowed minor, a slash bass. Use this chromatic map for anything the table above does not cover: shift 11 semitones and keep the chord's quality as written.
| Original root | Becomes |
|---|---|
| C | B |
| C♯ | C |
| D | C♯ |
| E♭ | D |
| E | D♯ |
| F | E |
| F♯ | F |
| G | F♯ |
| A♭ | G |
| A | G♯ |
| B♭ | A |
| B | A♯ |
Frequently asked questions
- How many semitones from C Major to B Major?
- 11 semitones up, which is the same as 1 semitone down — you land on the same chords either way, just in a different octave.
- What do the chords become?
- C becomes B, Dm becomes C♯m, Em becomes D♯m, F becomes E, G becomes F♯, Am becomes G♯m.
- Can I use a capo instead of transposing to B Major?
- Not directly. A capo can only raise pitch, and B Major sits below C Major in this direction, so you would need to rewrite the chart — or capo up to reach it from an octave below, which is rarely practical.
- Is B Major easier to play than C Major?
- No — B Major is the harder of the two (3.5 against 2), so expect more barre chords. A capo is worth considering.
Do it to the whole chart
Rewriting chords by hand is slow and easy to get wrong halfway down page two. Upload the PDF or a photo of your chart and every chord moves from C Major to B Major in place — same layout, same spacing, print-ready.
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