Guitar Capo Chart — Key of G

All capo positions and open chord shapes that produce G Major chords.

Ways to play G with a capo

Capo fret

Play shape

G

(open, no capo needed)

Capo fret

3

Play shape

E

Capo fret

5

Play shape

D

Capo fret

7

Play shape

C

Reference shapes: C, D, E, G, A, Am, Em, Dm. Switch to “Capo → Chords” mode to see the full equivalency chart for any position.

Playing in the Key of G Major with a Capo

To play in the key of G Major, you can use a capo to shift common open chord shapes up the neck. The easiest options are capo fret 3 with a E shape, capo fret 5 with a D shape, capo fret 7 with a C shape. Each capo position gives you a different set of fingerings while sounding the same pitches, so you can choose the position that feels most comfortable or produces the tone you want.

Capo Positions for G Major

The table below shows every combination of capo fret and open chord shape that produces a G chord — the tonic (I chord) of the key of G Major.

Capo FretOpen ShapeSounds Like
No capoGG
Fret 3EG
Fret 5DG
Fret 7CG

Chords in the Key of G Major

The key of G Major uses seven diatonic chords. Once you find your preferred capo position for G, use the same position shift to play all the other chords in the key — the relative shapes between them stay constant regardless of capo position.

See our chords in the key of G Major reference for Roman numeral analysis and common progressions.

Writing a song in G Major? Build the full chord sheet in Chordly — add capo notes and share it with your band.

Drag and drop chords directly onto your lyrics, build guitar tabs, and practice hands-free with autoscroll Play Mode. All in your browser — no download needed.

Start for FreeNo credit card required.
chordly.com