Musical Key Transposition Calculator
Calculate the transposed frequency when shifting a note by any number of semitones, using equal temperament tuning.
Results
What is it?
In equal temperament (the standard Western tuning system), the octave is divided into 12 equal semitones. Each semitone multiplies frequency by the 12th root of 2 (≈ 1.05946). Transposing by n semitones multiplies the original frequency by 2^(n/12). This is how pitch-shifting plugins, capos, and DAW transpose functions work internally.
How to use
Enter the original frequency of your reference note and the number of semitones to transpose. Positive semitones raise the pitch; negative semitones lower it. The calculator returns the new frequency, the percentage change, and how many octaves the shift represents.
Example scenario
Concert A (440 Hz) transposed up 7 semitones (a perfect fifth) gives 659.26 Hz — concert E5. Transposing up 12 semitones doubles the frequency to 880 Hz (A5). A guitarist placing a capo on fret 5 effectively transposes every note up 5 semitones.
Pro tip
Pitch-shifting vocals more than ±2–3 semitones begins to sound artificial with most algorithms. For dramatic transpositions, consider re-harmonisation rather than simple pitch shift. Transposing a sample by exactly 7 semitones (perfect fifth) creates powerful parallel harmonies widely used in EDM and hip-hop production.