Capo & Transpose in JustChords

This article explains how JustChords handles capo and transpose, and how you can combine both to get easier guitar chord shapes while keeping the correct musical key.

Key concept: the song key stays the same

JustChords always keeps the song’s designated key as its musical reference.

If a song is set to the key of Db, it remains in the key of Db even when a capo is used.
The capo and transpose settings only affect how chords are displayed and how they are fingered, not the underlying song key field itself.

This makes it easier to understand what key the band is actually playing in, while still giving guitarists simple chord shapes.

How the capo works

A capo raises the pitch of your guitar by one semitone for every fret.

Placing the capo on fret 1 raises everything by one semitone.
Placing the capo on fret 2 raises everything by two semitones (a whole tone), and so on.

Example:

The song is written in key Db (chords like Db, Ebm, Fm, Gb, Ab, Bbm, Cdim).
Many of these chords are not very guitar‑friendly.
If you place the capo on fret 1 and play chord shapes from the key of C (C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim), those shapes will sound as chords from the key of Db.
You are “thinking and fingering” in C, but the audience hears Db.

Important: the song key in JustChords is still set to Db; the capo only changes how your chord shapes sound.

How transpose works

Transpose changes the displayed key of the song by shifting all chords up or down by a chosen number of semitones.

Use transpose when:

The original key does not fit your singer’s range.
You want the whole band to play in a different key than the song was originally written in.

Example:

Your song is written in key A.
You want to perform it in key D to match the singer’s voice.
In JustChords, set the song sheet key to A (original key), then use the Transpose setting to select D.
All chords on the song sheet are now shown in key D.

On its own, transpose updates the chords you see and play, and the musical key of the song is now D.

Combining transpose and capo

You can combine transpose and capo to keep easy chord shapes while also changing the song’s key.

Example scenario:

Original song key: A.
Target performance key: D (for the singer).
Desired chord shapes: from key C (because these shapes are easy to play on guitar).

Steps in JustChords:

Ensure the song’s key field is set to A (original key).
Use Transpose and select D as the new key.
Set Capo to fret 2.

Result:

The song sheet now displays chords from the key C.
With the capo on 2, when you play those C‑family shapes, they sound as D chords.
Your singer gets the key D, while you enjoy simple C shapes.

If you want to return to the original state at any time, simply discard the transpose/capo settings.

Temporary vs. permanent changes

Capo and transpose in JustChords are intended as **temporary** performance tools.

Use **Transpose** and **Capo** when you want to adapt a song for a specific singer, band or arrangement without changing the stored song content.
Use the **Rewrite into key** function in the Song Editor if you want to permanently change the chords of the song itself to a new key.

This separation lets you maintain a clean “master” version of each song while still having maximum flexibility during rehearsals and live performances.