In order to play a particular song in a different key it is necessary to transpose the individual chords in a progression from the key they are written in to the new key. An easy way to change chords from one key to another is to use the Transposing Chart shown below.

The first step in transposing is to determine the key of the song you want to change. All the chord progressions in this book are presented in the key of “E”. Otherwise, to determine the key a song was written in you need to look at the beginning of the written music to determine the number of sharps (#) or flats (b) that are shown. The chart directly below tells you the key the song was written in by the number of sharps or flats shown in the sheet music. If there are no sharps or flats, the song is in the key of “C”. If for example the written music shows two flats, the song is in the key of “Bb”.

By way of an example, let’s transpose the Standard “E-C#m-F#m-B7” Changes in the key of “E” to the key of “C.” First you need to find the “E” in the far left hand column [of the chart below]. This row lists all the chords in the key of “E.” Now find the “C” in the same far left hand column. This row has all the corresponding chords in the key of “C.” Now find the “E” chord in the key of “E” row and the corresponding chord in the same column in the key of “C” row. So, the “E” chord in the key of “E” is transposed to a “C” chord in the key of “C.” Next find the “C#” in the key of “E” column and the corresponding chord in the key of “C” which is “A.” So a “C#m” chord in the key of “E” transposes to an “Am” chord in the key of “C.” Continuing the process you will see that the “E-C#m-F#m-B7” progression in the key of “E” transposes to the “C-Am-Dm-G7” progression in the key of “C”.

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