Transpose G Major to F Major

Every chord moves 10 semitones up (the same as 2 down). F Major sits below G Major here, so a capo cannot make this move — you need the chart rewritten.

Distance

+10 semitones

Capo shortcut

Not possible

Difficulty change

Harder

Chord conversion chart

The chords of G Major and what each one becomes in F Major. This is the table to keep next to you while you mark up a chart by hand.

NumeralIn G MajorIn F MajorNew shape
IGFBarre chord
iiAmGmBarre chord
iiiBmAmBeginner
IVCB♭Barre chord
VDCEasy
viEmDmEasy

The chords you'll be playing in F Major

Tap a diagram for its full fingering.

How to transpose from G Major to F Major

By hand, in five steps — or in one click at the bottom of this page.

  1. 1Work out the distance: G Major to F Major is 10 semitones up, or 2 semitones down — the same destination either way.
  2. 2Move every chord root by that distance. G Major's home chord becomes F, and every other chord shifts by exactly the same amount.
  3. 3Keep each chord's quality untouched. A minor chord stays minor, a 7th stays a 7th — only the root letter moves.
  4. 4Respell the accidentals to match the destination key. F Major carries 1 flat, so write the notes the way that key spells them.
  5. 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 10 semitones and keep the chord's quality as written.

Original rootBecomes
CB♭
C♯B
DC
E♭D♭
ED
FE♭
F♯E
GF
A♭G♭
AG
B♭A♭
BA

Frequently asked questions

How many semitones from G Major to F Major?
10 semitones up, which is the same as 2 semitones down — you land on the same chords either way, just in a different octave.
What do the chords become?
G becomes F, Am becomes Gm, Bm becomes Am, C becomes B♭, D becomes C, Em becomes Dm.
Can I use a capo instead of transposing to F Major?
Not directly. A capo can only raise pitch, and F Major sits below G 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 F Major easier to play than G Major?
No — F Major is the harder of the two (2.83 against 1.83), 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 G Major to F Major in place — same layout, same spacing, print-ready.

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Other keys to move G Major into