A simple method for birdcage coil design (high pass, low pass, and band pass) is presented. Rather than iteratively approaching the Larmor resonant frequency with known capacitances and calculated inductances, a more versatile approach to birdcage coil design is developed and validated, in which the necessary capacitances are calculated using a desired current pattern, a calculated inductance, and a predetermined resonant frequency. In order to expedite coil design for experienced and novice coil builders, a computer program (BirdcageBuilder) is also implemented based on this method. Experimental results show that the calculated capacitances and actual capacitances for several existing birdcage coils are in good agreement.