B♭ Augmented Chord on Guitar
B♭aug B♭ D F♯ 2 shapes Barre chord
Also written A♯aug: the same frets under another name.
Chord diagrams
How to play B♭ Augmented on guitar
The B♭ Augmented chord (B♭aug) is made of B♭, D, F♯ - 1 3 #5. On a guitar in standard tuning the easiest way to play it is the E-shape shape at fret 6 (6x877x). Below are 2 shapes in all, from the lowest on the neck to the highest; the same chord sounds brighter the higher you play it.
A-shape, fret 11 x(13)(12)(11)(11)x
Strings from the low E (left) to the high E (right). Numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little. x = do not play the string, o = open string, a bar = one finger across several strings.
Notes
What notes are in B♭ Augmented?
The B♭ Augmented chord has 3 different notes: B♭, D, F♯. Two major thirds stacked; the raised fifth makes it restless. A guitar chord rarely has as many strings as notes, so shapes double some of them: every shape here leaves at least one string unplayed - watch the x marks. Mute the strings marked x with the side of a fretting finger, so that only the chord rings.
| Note | Interval from the root | Half steps |
|---|---|---|
| B♭ | Root | 0 |
| D | Major 3rd | 4 |
| F♯ | Augmented 5th | 8 |
Questions
Frequently asked
How do you play B♭aug on guitar?
The E-shape shape 6x877x: low E string fret 6 (finger 1), D string fret 8 (finger 4), G string fret 7 (finger 2), B string fret 7 (finger 3); do not play A and high E.
What notes are in the B♭ Augmented chord?
The B♭ Augmented chord (B♭aug) is made of B♭, D, F♯. Its formula is 1 3 #5. On the guitar, some of those notes are played twice on different strings.
Can I play B♭aug without a barre?
There is no common open shape for B♭aug in standard tuning, so it is played as a movable shape: e-shape, fret 6 (6x877x) is the lowest on the neck. If a full barre is hard at first, play only the four highest strings of that shape - the root and the third are still there.
Is B♭ Augmented the same as A♯aug?
On the guitar, yes: the same frets. The name changes with the key - sharps in sharp keys, flats in flat keys.
Keep playing
Strum B♭aug, then build a song around it
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