Quick Reference Chart for Transposing Keys

 

Key

Root

 

2nd 9th

 

3rd

4th 11th

 

5th

 

6th 13th

 

7th

Relative Minor

C

C

C#

D

Eb

E

F

F#

G

Ab

A

Bb

B

Am

G

G

Ab

A

Bb

B

C

C#

D

Eb

E

F

F#

Em

D

D

Eb

E

F

F#

G

Ab

A

Bb

B

C

C#

Bm

A

A

Bb

B

C

C#

D

Eb

E

F

F#

G

G#

F#m

E

E

F

F#

G

G#

A

Bb

B

C

C#

D

D#

C#m

B

B

C

C#

D

D#

E

F

F#

G

G#

A

A#

G#m

F

F

F#

G

Ab

A

Bb

B

C

C#

D

Eb

E

Dm

Bb

Bb

B

C

C#

D

Eb

E

F

F#

G

Ab

A

Gm

Eb

Eb

E

F

F#

G

Ab

A

Bb

B

C

C#

D

Cm

Ab

Ab

A

Bb

B

C

Db

D

Eb

E

F

F#

G

Fm

Db

Db

D

Eb

E

F

Gb

G

Ab

A

Bb

B

C

Bbm

Gb

Gb

G

Ab

A

Bb

Cb

C

Db

D

Eb

E

F

Ebm

 

Maj

 

Min

 

Min

Maj

 

7th or Maj

 

Min

 

Dim

 

 

Notes:

  1. Keys are shown in left hand column, it’s relative minor in far right hand column.
  2. Notes shown in light grey are outside the key.
  3. The top row shows the position of the note in the key. This is a quick way to determine the notes that form a particular chord. For instance, a major chord consists of the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes in a key. Going to the ‘Key of E’ row, we can see that an E chord consists of E, G# and B.
  4. The bottom rows is a quick way to determine chords in a key. For the key of A for example, going left to right the chords are A, Bm, C#m, D, E7 (or E), F#m and G#dim.
  5. To transpose from one key to another, pick the note (or chord root) in the row of the key you’re transposing from, then follow the column down to the row of the key you’re transposing to. For instance, to transpose a Cmaj7 chord from the key of C to a chord in the key of A, put your finger on C in the first row (Key of C). Now slide down the column till you get to the ‘Key of A’ row. Your finger should be on the A. Therefore Cmaj7 in the key of C transposes to Amaj7 in the key of A.