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

In JustChords, the Key setting always represents the actual sounding (concert) key of the song. The capo is treated strictly as a playability tool, not as a visual marker or a simple label.

Capo and Transpose only affect how chords are displayed and played in the Song Viewer; the stored song key and content remain unchanged.

If a song is set to the key of D, it remains in the key of D even when a capo is used.

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 D (chords like D, Em, F#m, G, A, Bm, C#dim).
Some players prefer to avoid barre chords or sharp keys.
If you place the capo on fret 2 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 D.
You are “thinking and fingering” in C, but the audience hears D.

Important: the song key in JustChords is still set to D; 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.
Then use the Transpose setting to select D.
All chords on the song sheet are now shown as key D chords

Transpose does not change the song’s stored key; it only changes the performance key in the viewer.

Combining transpose and capo

You can combine transpose and capo to keep easy chord shapes while performing the song in a different 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.

How JustChords Handles Key and Capo

In JustChords, the Key setting always represents the actual sounding (concert) key of the song. The capo is treated strictly as a playability tool, not as a visual marker or a simple label.

When a capo is applied, JustChords automatically adjusts the displayed chord shapes so that the song continues to sound in the same key. For example, if a song is in E and you place a capo on the first fret, the chord shapes shown by the app will shift accordingly, ensuring the music still sounds in E when played with the capo.

Because of this, chord names in the interface will change when a capo is added.

JustChords does not support using the capo purely as a visual reminder while keeping the original, unshifted chord shapes. Any capo position will always result in updated chord shapes.

This approach is consistent with common practice in chord‑chart tools and helps avoid confusion when playing together with other musicians, since everyone refers to the same real key regardless of capo use.

If your goal is to change the actual sounding key of the song, you should modify the song’s Key setting rather than using the capo. ``