Augmented Guitar Chords
aug or +Augmented triads are three‑note chords built from two stacked major thirds. This gives them a root, a major third, and an augmented (raised) fifth, expressed by the formula 1–3–#5. A major third spans four semitones, so augmented chords can be clearly illustrated using the chromatic scale, e.g., C Chromatic Scale: C - C# - D - D# - E - F - F# - G - G# - A - A# - B - C
- C → E (4 semitones)
- E → G♯ (another 4 semitones)
- Caug = C–E–G♯
Symmetry & Similarity:
Augmented chords are symmetrical because they are built entirely from major thirds. Stacking three major thirds completes the octave: Following from the example above:- C → E
- E → G♯
- G♯ → C (back to the root)
- Caug = C–E–G♯
- Eaug = E–G♯–C
- G♯aug = G♯–C–E
They are simply inversions of one another.
- Because the 12‑note chromatic scale divides evenly into major‑third intervals, there are only four unique augmented triads in terms of pitch content. Each one appears three times under different root names.
- This is why augmented chords can be played in many positions on the fretboard — the shapes repeat every four frets, and each inversion contains the same notes.
- Here is another example — calculation of a Gaug chord:
| Chord Name + (other less-common names) | Gaug (G+5, G(♯5)) |
| G Major Scale (Parent Scale of Gaug) | G - A - B - C - D - E - F# - G |
| Chord Formula for augmented chords | 1 - 3 - ♯5 |
| Chord Notes (after applying the formula to the Scale) | G - B - D♯ |
| Chord notes on the Treble Clef |
|
Augmented Chord Table (aug or +)
| Aug(+) | A | B♭ | B | C | C# | D | E♭ | E | F | F# | G | A♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root | A | B♭ | B | C | C# | D | E♭ | E | F | F# | G | A♭ |
| Major 3rd | C# | D | D# | E | E#(F) | F# | G | G# | A | A# | B | C |
| Aug 5th | E#(F) | F# | Fx(G) | G# | Gx(A) | A# | B | B#(C) | C# | Cx(D) | D# | E |
Interesting to note:
Please note that all chord charts indicate different shapes in different fret positions rather than set fret positions. Generally, there are 3 different augmented shapes and each one can be played in 3 different positions.
If you look closely at these charts, you will notice that each of the 3 charts are identical in terms of notes played and fret positions. Consider the following:
| Augmented Chords | Notes |
|---|---|
| A aug = C# aug = F aug | A - C# - F |
| B♭ aug = D aug = F# aug | B♭ - D - F# |
| B aug = E♭ aug = G aug | B - E♭ - G |
| C aug = E aug = A♭ aug | C - E - A♭ |
Augmented Chords - RH / LH
▶︎ Chord Chart Legend
To read the charts below, the arrow ↑ represents which fret the finger above it plays. For example:
- A+ first shape: Place your 3rd finger on either the 4th, 8th or 12th fret and work backwards with your 2nd and 1st finger.
- A+ second shape: Place your 4th finger on the 5th, 9th or 13th fret and work backwards with your other fingers.
- A+ third shape: Place your first finger on frets 1, 5, or 9 and proceed as illustrated with your other fingers.
Practice songs featuring augmented chords:
| Song / Artist | Capo | Key | Core Chords |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alone Again Narurally - Gilbert O'Sullivan | +1 | F | F, Gm, Ab, Am, Bm7b5, C, D7, Dm, Eb7, E7 |
| Climb Every Mountain from The Sound Of Music | +3 | G | G, A, Am, Bm, Baug, C, Cm6, D, Dm7, E, Em7 |
| I'm Not Gonna Miss You - Glen Campbell | - | G | G, Am, C, D |
| Marvin Gaye - Charlie Puth | +4 | C | C, D7, Dm7, E7, F, G, Am |
| Life On Mars by David Bowie | - | Bb | Bb, Bbm, C7, Cm, Caug, Db7, D, Ddim7, Eb, Ebm7, F, Fm, F#aug, F#dim7, Gm, Ab, Ab7, Am, Aaug |
| Georgia On My Mind - Willie Nelson | - | C | C, D7, Dm7, D#7, E7, Eaug, Em7, F, F#dim7, G7, A, Am, Bb, B7 |
Please Note: The Core Chords list shows the main chord shapes used in each song — major, minor, seventh, and others. Augmented chords are separate shapes built from stacked major thirds. Any augmented chords used in a song are shown on the individual song pages, even if they are not included in the Core Chords list.
