Chord changing app?

[jed1894]

I saw one site that allows for changing of chords by capo.... but it doesn’t have many songs. I’m looking for a site or app that lets me change chords by capoing to something else. Let’s say, I cannot play a certain bar chord, but when capo’d down it turns into something I can play.

Does Onsong allow this? I found a couple sites that will let me transpose, but it really doesn’t tell you where to capo.

Thanks Jed

[The Bard Rocks]

I don't know anything about apps, but since no one else has answered, let me try to help.

It will pay for you to learn (if you haven't already) a little really basic music - the scale, which goes this way: A A# (or B flat) B C C#(or D flat) D D# (or e flat) E F F#(or g flat) G G# (or flat) A. (You'll notice there is no B#/C flat or E#/F flat - we won't get into this, but the system works without them.)

Each fret makes the note (or the chord) go up one in the scale. You probably already know the open string notes (if you ever tune it, you have to know this). So if you took an E for instance (either the upper and lowest string) and went up one fret, it would be an F, up two frets and its an F3, 3 frets and it's a g, and so on. the same works for chords. Let's take a D chord for an example. Put the capo on the first fret and it becomes a D# chord, use the second fret and it's an E, the third fret and the D chord is now actually an F.

So if you know the scale, you can figure out any note on the fretboard and you, by capoing, can play any chord and still use a familiar shape/fingering.

No app needed. Learn this and it will be faster than using an app as well.

[jed1894]

Originally Posted by The Bard Rocks

I don't know anything about apps, but since no one else has answered, let me try to help.



It will pay for you to learn (if you haven't already) a little really basic music - the scale, which goes this way: A A# (or B flat) B C C#(or D flat) D D# (or e flat) E F F#(or g flat) G G# (or flat) A. (You'll notice there is no B#/C flat or E#/F flat - we won't get into this, but the system works without them.)



Each fret makes the note (or the chord) go up one in the scale. You probably already know the open string notes (if you ever tune it, you have to know this). So if you took an E for instance (either the upper and lowest string) and went up one fret, it would be an F, up two frets and its an F3, 3 frets and it's a g, and so on. the same works for chords. Let's take a D chord for an example. Put the capo on the first fret and it becomes a D# chord, use the second fret and it's an E, the third fret and the D chord is now actually an F.



So if you know the scale, you can figure out any note on the fretboard and you, by capoing, can play any chord and still use a familiar shape/fingering.



No app needed. Learn this and it will be faster than using an app as well.

Thanks. Im working on this system and willing to learn this preferred way. Thanks

[raysachs]

I use Guitar Tapp and it had an easy feature to transpose any song in your catalog and it shows you the new chords. So, if you transpose down two steps (capo on the second fret), it'll change Bm chords to Am, F to E, etc. I've never used On Song, but I can't imagine it doesn't have the same or a very very similar feature, probably even more powerful.

-Ray

[jed1894]

Originally Posted by raysachs

I use Guitar Tapp and it had an easy feature to transpose any song in your catalog and it shows you the new chords. So, if you transpose down two steps (capo on the second fret), it'll change Bm chords to Am, F to E, etc. I've never used On Song, but I can't imagine it doesn't have the same or a very very similar feature, probably even more powerful.

-Ray

Looks good.
Does it allow importing songs with chords (not tabs)?
Is the 2.99 a one time fee or monthly?

Jed

[Misifus]

If you have access to a keyboard, they can make this process easier. Learn where the notes are on the keyboard, and transposing (that’s what you’re doing here) gets easier. Add the each fret is one halftone, and you can count the changes for each chord.

Playing C fingering while capped at 3, means the C shape gives you Eb, the F shape sounds as Ab and the G as Bb.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by jed1894

Looks good.
Does it allow importing songs with chords (not tabs)?
Is the 2.99 a one time fee or monthly?

Jed

It’s a one time fee unless I was grandfathered in and they’ve changed their approach. But I seriously doubt that. I’ve never really tried importing because they have such a huge catalog of songs with multiple versions of most of them and many versions of all but the most obscure. You can set up an account (again, no charge beyond the app) and save all of your favorites, make aetlists, etc, and have your stuff synced on various devices - I have it on two iPads and my phone. I wish they had a version for a Mac or PC - I might use it on my laptop at times, but I’m ok without that. You can edit their files if you like, they have an easy transpose option in their menu, most songs are available in tab or as chord charts. It has a scrolling feature too, but I never liked it, so I bought a Bluetooth pedal that lets me control the scrolling with my foot.

Again, I believe On Song is more powerful in many regards, particularly if you’re working with other people in a band Nd want to do a lot of live sharing Nd stuff. But for me, this app is more than enough and I’ve got a pretty extensive set of edited and saved song files at this point...

-Ray

[RickRS]

Thumbs up for The Bard Rocks' suggestion. And my preferred method. Know that and you'll not only work out the capo key change in a minute or two on the fly, AND when you develop your skills for Barre chords you will instantly recognize that F chord is G at the third fret, A at fifth, Bb at sixth, C at eighth fret, etc. Unlocks a lot just knowing some basic musical information.

[rick-slo]

Usually trying to play the same chords capoed as you would uncapoed just creates other problems (other barre chords, awkward chord shapes, preferable bass notes in the wrong place).

For example I,IV,V (C,F,G) in key of C. Try and play those chords with a capo on any fret one through five. Good luck.

[SunnyDee]

All you really need is knowledge of which chords are found in each key or a chart to help you. https://www.guitar-chord.org/transpo...-for-capo.html

I'm assuming you realize that you can't just change one chord to a new key, but some beginners may not realize that. You need to change all the chords in the song to the new key. Generally, you know all the chords in one key, so you don't have to think about transposing each one. You just play all the shapes you know in that key after moving the capo. And you decide where to put the capo by looking at just the root note of that key.

So, let's assume you want to play a song that is in the key of D, but can't play those chords for some reason. If you are comfortable playing open C shapes in a song (C, F, G, Am...) but want the song to sound as if you are playing in D, you put the capo on fret 2 and play the C shapes and it sounds like D, because you are moving the C up one whole step (2 frets) higher to D.

However, if you want the sound of the song to be in D, and you are NOT comfortable playing all the C shapes or D shapes (maybe you are avoiding F or Bm barre chords), because...let's say, you've only learned to play some G shapes (G, C, D, Em...) then you can play the D-sounding song in G shapes, but you have to put the capo all the way up to fret 7 to do it. Not ideal, but it works.

If you try this a couple times, you'll quickly see that you are better off learning more chord shapes so you have more options.

A better use for the capo is when you know a song by playing C shapes but the singer you want to play with needs to sing in C#. You move the capo up one fret and now your C shapes sound like C# and you don't need to worry about learning shapes for that unfamiliar key.