I have a website that allows you to transpose songs and will generate the appropriate chord charts. In doing so, I have come across a question I can't find an answer to with regards to using a capo to change keys.
If I want to play in the Key of D Major, but what to use Key of C Major shapes (common when playing a Ukulele in Standard / C tuning), I'd put a capo at the second fret (+2 semitones). Thus, my C Major chord shape is phonating the D Major chord's pitches (these examples are for a Ukulele in Standard / C tuning).
Note the pitch names for each string have changed, but the shape name is still the same. This is what people want when using a capo (same chord shape, different pitches).
Typically chord charts show a thick dark line at the top indicating the nut, but for capoed shapes, I use a hashed line. It serves the same purpose, but is visually different.
Further, sometimes shapes are so far up the neck of you don't see the nut in the chart, so I have to indicate which frets are visible. For example, here is a C Major chord up at the 7th fret.
Note, that the top of the chart indicates a thin line because it is not the nut.
Ok, here is my question. When displaying a chart using a capo for a chord shape far enough up the neck so the nut doesn't show which fret number do I display? Do I display the physical fret on the neck of the instrument or the number of frets above the capo?
In this example, I am capoed at the 2nd fret, so I am phonating a D Major chord, but which fret number should be displayed? Fret 7 because I am 7 frets above the capo (similar to be being 7 frets above the nut if no capo was there)? Or Fret 9 because I want to fret at the 9th fret physically on the instrument? Make sense?
Thanks for your expertise!