Root position Caug
C – E – G♯
Right hand 1-3-5Left hand 5-3-1
C Augmented Chord on Piano
Caug C E G♯ Formula 1 3 #5 3 notes
Notes
What notes are in the C Augmented chord?
The C Augmented chord has 3 notes: C, E, G♯. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| C | Root | 0 |
| E | Major 3rd | 4 |
| G♯ | Augmented 5th | 8 |
Inversions and fingering
Every way to play C 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 Caug/E
E – G♯ – C
Right hand 1-2-5Left hand 5-3-1
The piano studio names these keys Eaug: the same notes, read from another root.
2nd inversion Caug/G♯
G♯ – C – E
Right hand 1-3-5Left hand 5-2-1
The piano studio names these keys G♯aug: the same notes, read from another root.
Where it lives
Keys and scales with C Augmented
Every key where Caug 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.
Caug 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 C Augmented chord?
The C Augmented chord (Caug) is made of C, E, G♯. Its formula is 1 3 #5 - the root, then the intervals of a augmented chord.
How do you play Caug on the piano?
Put your right thumb on C 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 Caug?
root position Caug (C E G♯); 1st inversion Caug/E (E G♯ C); 2nd inversion Caug/G♯ (G♯ C E).
Play it for real
Hold Caug and build a progression on it
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