# Transpose a song

Move a whole chord chart up or down by a half step, a whole step or a fifth, from the keyboard or with a button. The chord names stay readable.

## The song is in the wrong key

The chart you found may sit too high for the singer, or a guitarist may have played it with a capo and written down the shapes rather than the chords that sound. Your band may play it a tone lower than the recording, or your teacher may ask you to play it in another key.

In the Songs subject you can move the chords you are practicing as a whole, and the drill carries on in the new key.

## Two key presses up

With a song on the practice screen, `W` moves it up a half step and `Q` down, while `S` and `A` move it by a fifth. The chart above the chord changes straight away, and a message shows the new chord line so you can check it.

![The chord chart of a song: G, Em, C, D, twice.](https://pianokitty.com/features/en/transpose/before.webp)

![The same chart two half steps higher: A, F♯m, D, E, twice.](https://pianokitty.com/features/en/transpose/after.webp)

| Keys | Action |
| --- | --- |
| `W` | Up a half step |
| `Q` | Down a half step |
| `S` | Up a fifth |
| `A` | Down a fifth |

## Or with the buttons

The same moves are in [Preferences](https://pianokitty.com/preferences), under Songs → Transposition: a half step, a whole step or a fifth, up or down. Above the buttons the app shows the key it detects in the song, which helps you decide where to move it.

![The transposition panel: the detected key and six buttons — half step, whole step and fifth, each up and down.](https://pianokitty.com/features/en/transpose/buttons.webp)

## Spelled the way a musician would

The app picks sensible letter names when it transposes: E up a half step is F rather than E♯, and E♭ down a half step is D. If you want the strict interval, hold `Shift` while clicking a half-step button.

- Slash chords move with their bass: C/E becomes D/F♯.
- Bar lines, section names and anything else that is not a chord stay as they are.

> Progressions and scales are written as degrees rather than chord names, so there the same keys change the key of the exercise. See [play it in any key](https://pianokitty.com/features/any-key).

## Move a song

- Try it: [G, Em, C, D](https://pianokitty.com/app?subject=songs&spec=G%20Em%20C%20D%20%7C%20G%20Em%20C%20D&seq=inOrder&chart=true): Press W twice and it is in A.
- Try it: [A chart with slash chords](https://pianokitty.com/app?subject=songs&spec=C%20G%2FB%20Am%20F&seq=inOrder&chart=true): C, G/B, Am, F. The bass notes move with the chords.
- Try it: [Find a real song](https://pianokitty.com/songs): Search the song list, then move the song to the key you need.
- Try it: [A progression in every key](https://pianokitty.com/features/any-key): Two–five–one, and the key shortcuts that move it.

Related: [Play it in any key](https://pianokitty.com/features/any-key.md), [Practice real songs](https://pianokitty.com/features/songs.md), [Type your own chords](https://pianokitty.com/features/custom-material.md)

Source: https://pianokitty.com/features/transpose