How Many Semitones to Change Key?

Count the semitones (half steps) from the old key’s root note to the new one. C to F is up 5 or down 7; E to C is down 4 or up 8. Up plus down always makes 12, so the shortest shift is never more than 6. Pick any two keys in the chart below for the answer.

Key Change Semitone Chart

Find the semitones between any two keys: pick the key the song is in now and the key you want, or tap a cell of the chart.

From key (the song now) C major D♭ major D major E♭ major E major F major F♯ major G major A♭ major A major B♭ major B major To key (the key you want) C major D♭ major D major E♭ major E major F major F♯ major G major A♭ major A major B♭ major B major

C major → F major

Up 5 semitones

or down 7 semitones. Up + down always make 12.

Interval

perfect fourth up = perfect fifth down

Apply +5 in the Key Changer Or apply −7 (down)

Keys

MajorMinor

Swipe the chart sideways to see all 12 keys.

Semitones from the key in each row to the key in each column (shortest way, major keys)

Semitones to change key: from the key in each row to the key in each column (shortest way, major keys)

From ↓ To →	C	D♭	D	E♭	E	F	F♯	G	A♭	A	B♭	B
C	0	+1	+2	+3	+4	+5	±6	−5	−4	−3	−2	−1
D♭	−1	0	+1	+2	+3	+4	+5	±6	−5	−4	−3	−2
D	−2	−1	0	+1	+2	+3	+4	+5	±6	−5	−4	−3
E♭	−3	−2	−1	0	+1	+2	+3	+4	+5	±6	−5	−4
E	−4	−3	−2	−1	0	+1	+2	+3	+4	+5	±6	−5
F	−5	−4	−3	−2	−1	0	+1	+2	+3	+4	+5	±6
F♯	±6	−5	−4	−3	−2	−1	0	+1	+2	+3	+4	+5
G	+5	±6	−5	−4	−3	−2	−1	0	+1	+2	+3	+4
A♭	+4	+5	±6	−5	−4	−3	−2	−1	0	+1	+2	+3
A	+3	+4	+5	±6	−5	−4	−3	−2	−1	0	+1	+2
B♭	+2	+3	+4	+5	±6	−5	−4	−3	−2	−1	0	+1
B	+1	+2	+3	+4	+5	±6	−5	−4	−3	−2	−1	0

+ = shift up − = shift down ±6 = same distance both ways

Row = the key the song is in now, column = the key you want.

Related tools

How to count the semitones between two keys

A semitone is one piano key or one guitar fret, the smallest step in Western music (see what semitones are). A key is named after its root note, so the distance between two keys is the distance between their root notes.

1. Name both roots. G major has the root G, E minor has the root E. If you do not know the key yet, find the key of the song first.
2. Count up, one semitone per note: C, C♯/D♭, D, E♭, E, F, F♯, G, A♭, A, B♭, B. From C to F that is C → D♭ → D → E♭ → E → F: 5 steps.
3. Subtract from 12 to get the way down: 12 − 5 = 7, so C to F is also 7 semitones down.
4. Choose the direction. The smaller number keeps the song closest to the original. A singer picks the direction that suits the voice.

Minor keys count the same way: A minor to D minor is up 5, just like A major to D major. A major key and its relative minor (C major and A minor) share the same notes, so moving between them changes the mode, not the pitch. The music key chart lists the notes of every key, and the circle of fifths shows which keys are closely related.

How many semitones from C to F, E to C, A to C and other keys

These are the key pairs people ask about most, answered in both directions. The interval is named for the way up and the way down.

Semitones between common key pairs (major keys unless marked minor)

Key change	Up	Down	Shortest	Interval
C to F	+5	−7	up 5	perfect fourth up = perfect fifth down
C to A	+9	−3	down 3	major sixth up = minor third down
E to C	+8	−4	down 4	minor sixth up = major third down
A to C	+3	−9	up 3	minor third up = major sixth down
E to A	+5	−7	up 5	perfect fourth up = perfect fifth down
A to E	+7	−5	down 5	perfect fifth up = perfect fourth down
C to E	+4	−8	up 4	major third up = minor sixth down
F to C	+7	−5	down 5	perfect fifth up = perfect fourth down
C to G	+7	−5	down 5	perfect fifth up = perfect fourth down
A to D	+5	−7	up 5	perfect fourth up = perfect fifth down
G to E	+9	−3	down 3	major sixth up = minor third down
A minor to D minor	+5	−7	up 5	perfect fourth up = perfect fifth down
C minor to A minor	+9	−3	down 3	major sixth up = minor third down

Is C to F 5 or 7 semitones? Both, in opposite directions. Up from C to F is a perfect fourth (5 semitones); down from C to F is a perfect fifth (7 semitones). Down 4 from E reaches C, and so does up 8. The chart above shows the shorter way; tap a cell to see both.

How many semitones to harmonize?

A harmony a third above is 3 or 4 semitones, a fifth is 7, and an octave is 12. In a major key the third above each note switches between 4 (major third) and 3 (minor third), so one fixed shift of +4 sounds right on some notes and clashes on others. A fifth (+7) or an octave (±12) fits almost every note, which makes them the safe choice for a pitch-shifted harmony.

Semitones for common vocal harmonies

Harmony	Semitones	Example from C	Sound
Third above (major third)	+4	C → E	Bright; fits only some notes of the scale
Third above (minor third)	+3	C → E♭	Darker; fits the other notes
Third below	−3 or −4	C → A or A♭	Common for a low harmony
Fourth above	+5	C → F	Open, folk sound
Fifth above	+7	C → G	Strong; the safest fixed shift
Sixth above	+8 or +9	C → A♭ or A	Sweet, often used by duets
Octave	±12	C → C	Doubles the melody

To build a harmony from a recorded voice, shift a copy with the vocal pitch changer and mix it quietly under the lead vocal.

How many semitones should a singer shift?

Most singers need 1 to 3 semitones. That is enough when only the chorus strains the voice. Start with −2, sing the hardest part twice, and adjust by one semitone at a time (more tips for a song that is too high).

Between male and female voices, the usual shift is 5 to 7 semitones (a fourth or a fifth), not the full 12 of an octave. An octave keeps the key name but often puts the melody too low for a female voice or too high for a male voice. Test ±5 first, then ±7. The male to female key change guide and its female to male counterpart give song examples; measure your own range with the vocal range test.

Shifting a recorded voice by more than about 5 semitones also moves its formants, so it starts to sound thin (up) or muffled (down). For big shifts, a backing track without vocals sounds more natural, as with a karaoke pitch changer.

Capo and semitones: guitar equivalents

One fret on the guitar is one semitone. A capo on fret 2 raises every chord by 2 semitones, so G shapes sound in A. A capo only raises the pitch; to go down, tune the strings down or play other shapes.

The key each chord shape sounds in with a capo (major keys)

Capo fret	Shift	C shapes	G shapes	D shapes	E shapes
No capo	+0	C	G	D	E
1	+1	D♭	A♭	E♭	F
2	+2	D	A	E	F♯
3	+3	E♭	B♭	F	G
4	+4	E	B	F♯	A♭
5	+5	F	C	G	A
6	+6	F♯	D♭	A♭	B♭
7	+7	G	D	A	B

To rewrite the chords themselves instead, follow the steps to transpose a song.

Which tool should you use?

Each page does one job. This chart answers the question; the other tools do the maths or change the audio.

Which tool fits your task

Tool	Use it when
Key change semitone chart (this page)	You know both keys and want the number of semitones, up and down.
Semitone calculator	You need any two notes with octaves (A3 to E5), cents, frequencies in Hz or the speed ratio.
Online key changer	You want to hear and download the song in the new key, with the tempo kept.
Pitch shifter	You want free semitone and cent shifts of any sound, without key names.
Online pitch changer	You want a quick pitch change of any audio file.

Questions about semitones and key changes

How many semitones are in a key?

A key has 7 notes spread over 12 semitones. A major scale climbs 2-2-1-2-2-2-1 semitones (whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half), and a natural minor scale climbs 2-1-2-2-1-2-2. Both add up to 12, one octave.

How many semitones is a half step or a whole step?

A half step is 1 semitone and a whole step is 2. A whole step is also called a whole tone. On a piano a half step is the very next key, black or white; on a guitar it is the next fret.

How many semitones is a key change in a pop song?

Usually 1 or 2 semitones up, the classic “truck driver’s” key change near the last chorus. It lifts the energy without leaving the singer’s range. Bigger jumps of 3 to 5 semitones happen, but they are rare.

How many cents are in a semitone?

100 cents make one semitone, and 1,200 cents make an octave. A key change always uses whole semitones. Cents are for fine-tuning a recording that is slightly sharp or flat; tuning from A = 440 Hz to 432 Hz is about −32 cents.

Does changing the key change the tempo?

Not with a pitch shifter that keeps the tempo. On a record player or with a plain speed change, +1 semitone also plays about 5.95 % faster. Tools that keep the tempo move only the pitch, as explained in key change vs pitch change.

What does “minus one” mean in music?

A minus one is a backing track with the lead vocal removed, used for karaoke and practice. In a key changer, “−1” means something else: the song moves down by one semitone.

How big a key change still sounds natural?

Up to about 3 semitones usually sounds natural on a recording; beyond 5, voices start to sound different. Instruments cope better than voices. When you sing or play live, any shift sounds natural, because nothing is processed.