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Teaching and adaptation 9 min read

How to change tuning, capo, and key in Guitar Pro

Tuning, capo position, and transposition all affect pitch, but they solve different problems. The safest workflow is to decide whether you want to preserve the notes that sound, preserve the fret positions you play, or move the entire song into a new key before changing the score.

A chromatic tuner, capo, guitar strings, and transposition reference on a studio desk

The practical answer

Before applying any pitch change, decide what must stay fixed: the sounding notes, the existing fingering, or the musical relationship between every part.

A step-by-step approach

  1. 1

    Save a working copy

    Duplicate the original file before changing its tuning, capo, or key so you can compare the result and recover any fingering or notation that changes unexpectedly.

  2. 2

    Decide what should stay unchanged

    Choose whether you need to preserve the sounding pitches, keep the same physical fret positions, or move the complete arrangement into a new key.

  3. 3

    Select the correct instrument track

    Open the track inspector for the guitar, bass, or other fretted instrument you intend to change. Tuning and capo settings apply to the selected track, so verify the track name first.

  4. 4

    Apply the tuning or capo setting

    Choose a preset or set each string individually, then add a full or partial capo if required. When changing an existing track, read the fingering option carefully before confirming.

  5. 5

    Transpose only when the music needs a new key

    Use transposition when every selected note should move by a musical interval. Check whether the command is affecting the current track, a selection, or the complete score.

  6. 6

    Verify pitch, fingering, and notation

    Play the opening, inspect several chord shapes, and compare the standard notation, tablature, chord names, and other instrument tracks with the intended result.

Tuning, capo, and transposition solve different problems

Changing tuning alters the pitch assigned to one or more open strings. Adding a capo raises the playable open strings without changing their tuning relationship. Transposition moves written musical material by an interval into a different key.

These operations can produce a similar audible result in simple examples, but they affect tablature, standard notation, chord shapes, and other tracks differently. Identify the real problem before choosing the tool.

Choose what happens to an existing fingering

When you change the tuning of an edited track, Guitar Pro can adjust note positions to preserve the original pitches or keep the existing fret positions and allow the pitches to change. Neither choice is universally correct.

Preserve pitch when adapting a written melody to another tuning but you still need it to sound the same. Preserve finger positions when the physical shape is intentional and the purpose of the new tuning is to change how that shape sounds.

Use capo settings for the instrument you will actually play

The tuning controls in the track inspector include capo and partial-capo settings. A full capo affects every string at the chosen fret; a partial capo affects only selected strings.

After adding a capo to an existing score, check the fingering adjustment option and inspect the lowest notes carefully. A note that was playable before the capo change may require a different string or position afterwards.

Transpose the arrangement without losing context

Use transposition when a singer needs another key, an exercise needs to be practised in several keys, or the complete arrangement must move by a defined interval. Confirm the selection scope so one instrument is not moved while the rest of the arrangement remains behind.

After transposing, inspect chord names, chord fingerings, key signatures, open-string notes, bends, harmonics, and any unusually low or high passages. Guitar Pro includes transposition support, but a playable guitar arrangement still deserves a manual check.

A quick verification routine

Play the first section while watching the tablature, compare two or three recognisable chords with the instrument, and solo the changed track against the bass or vocal line. This catches octave errors, impossible low notes, and accidental single-track transpositions quickly.

If the result is not what you intended, return to the saved copy and repeat the change with the other fingering option. Avoid stacking several corrective transformations on an already uncertain result.

Common questions

Keep the pitches when the melody or harmony must sound the same. Keep the finger positions when the physical shapes are intentional and you want the new tuning to change their sounding pitches.
No. A capo changes the playable open-string position of a fretted instrument. Transposition moves selected musical material by an interval and can affect notes, key signatures, and chord names.
Yes. Guitar Pro provides full and partial capo controls in the tuning settings for the selected track.
Guitar Pro may have adjusted the fret positions to preserve the original sounding pitches. Use a copy of the file and choose the option that keeps finger positions if that is what your arrangement requires.

Sources and review notes

Product details were checked against the official sources below on 9 August 2026. Offers and software details can change, so confirm current terms before buying.

Keep learning.

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10 min read Adapt tuning and strings Adapt a Guitar Pro tab for another tuning, six- or seven-string guitar, or an easier arrangement while preserving pitch, rhythm, and playability. 8 min read Move notes between strings Move Guitar Pro notes to another string while preserving pitch, and understand when keeping the same fret shape requires deliberate transposition instead. 9 min read Keys and enharmonic spelling Choose readable key signatures and accidentals in Guitar Pro, respell awkward imports, and proof transposed parts without changing their pitch.