Which Fret do I Indicate on an up-the-neck chord chart that is using a capo?

Question

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!

Answer 1

A capo changes the transposition of the instrument, and all notation should be written as if the capo is the nut. Note there is an accepted way to indicate that chord boxes are not at the nut. It’s with a Roman numeral indicating the fret number at the top of the chord box (not the lowest fret that is fingered).

The correct way to write a chord box for the C chord played at the seventh fret without a capo is to put a Roman numeral VI at the side of the chord box aligned with the top line of the chord box. If you want that to be a D because of the capo, then it’s still a VI at the side of the chord box because the capo is the new nut and counts as fret zero for all notation.

Personally I think the string names should never be changed when notating with a capo because that makes it seem like a different tuning is being used. I find most of your examples hopelessly confusing.

Side note: I thinking “sounding” is commonly used instead of “phonating” in English. The sounding pitch is what you hear, which isn’t always the same as the written pitch.