Root position A♭aug
A♭ – C – E
Right hand 1-3-5Left hand 5-3-1
A♭ Augmented Chord on Piano
A♭aug A♭ C E Formula 1 3 #5 3 notes
Also written G♯ aug: the same keys under another name.
Notes
What notes are in the A♭ Augmented chord?
The A♭ Augmented chord has 3 notes: A♭, C, E. Two major thirds stacked: 4 half steps, then 4 more. The raised fifth makes it unstable, and the three notes split the octave in equal parts.
| Note | Interval from the root | Half steps |
|---|---|---|
| A♭ | Root | 0 |
| C | Major 3rd | 4 |
| E | Augmented 5th | 8 |
Inversions and fingering
Every way to play A♭ Augmented
The same notes in a different order. The lowest note changes the name after the slash; the fingering below is the usual one - right hand from the lowest key up, left hand from the lowest key up too.
1st inversion A♭aug/C
C – E – A♭
Right hand 1-2-5Left hand 5-3-1
The piano studio names these keys Caug: the same notes, read from another root.
2nd inversion A♭aug/E
E – A♭ – C
Right hand 1-3-5Left hand 5-2-1
The piano studio names these keys Eaug: the same notes, read from another root.
Where it lives
Keys and scales with A♭ Augmented
Every key where A♭aug is one of the seven chords, with its Roman numeral, and the scales whose notes include all of it - the ones to improvise over it.
A♭aug is not a diatonic chord of any major or natural minor key.
Scales that contain all its notes
Questions
Frequently asked
What notes are in the A♭ Augmented chord?
The A♭ Augmented chord (A♭aug) is made of A♭, C, E. Its formula is 1 3 #5 - the root, then the intervals of a augmented chord.
How do you play A♭aug on the piano?
Put your right thumb on A♭ and play the other notes with fingers 1-3-5. With the left hand, use fingers 5-3-1 from the lowest key up.
What are the inversions of A♭aug?
root position A♭aug (A♭ C E); 1st inversion A♭aug/C (C E A♭); 2nd inversion A♭aug/E (E A♭ C).
Is A♭ Augmented the same as G♯ aug?
On the piano, yes: the same keys. The name changes with the key you are in - sharps in sharp keys, flats in flat keys.
Play it for real
Hold A♭aug and build a progression on it
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