Capo Converting/Transposing Lesson by Shantel

I'll show you an easy formula for converting capo chords...

In "Right On The Money" for example the chords are as follows:

Capo 3 | No capo

Am     =  Cm
F      =  G#
G      =  A#
C      =  D#
Em     =  Gm

How do you figure this out? An easy way is to just count step 
by step on your 12 note main chart:

A | A# | B | C | C# | D | D# | E | F | F# | G | G# 

(of course A# is the same as Bb, C# as Db, D# as Eb and so on)

This is a "12 step program" you can use to transpose anything.

With capos you do this....if you have a Capo on 3 and want to 
know what an F is with no capo you count up (to the right) 3 
on the "12 step program". Any minor chord is always a minor 
chord no matter what key, a major a major, a 7th a 7th, etc. 
So if you have an Am and count up 3 you will be at C, and if 
you start with a minor your C will be a Cm.  With the F you 
count up 3 and you have a G#. (by the way when you get up to 
G# you wrap around back to the A with your counting) 
ie. 3 up starting on G# would be a B

Now lets say you had it vise versa....you were playing an D# 
chord, and you want to know if you stuck a capo on 3 how you'd 
play an D# chord. So then you count DOWN (to the left) 3. 
Starting on D# and counting down 3 would leave you at C, so 
there you go! You play C with capo on 3 and it's the same as 
playing a D# with no capo. 

Capos aside...if you want to transpose a key, lets say make a 
song higher cause your voice is higher than a singers voice,
you can also count up (or down to make it lower). So if you had
any given song with the chords D A G in it and wanted to make
it 2 keys higher, you count up 2 on the 12 step chard for each 
chord.
So...   D becomes E
        A becomes B
        G becomes A