Root position C♯aug
C♯ – E♯ – G𝄪
Right hand 1-3-5Left hand 5-3-1
C♯ Augmented Chord on Piano
C♯aug C♯ E♯ G𝄪 Formula 1 3 #5 3 notes
Also written D♭ aug: the same keys under another name.
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. Spelled by the rules of harmony, E♯ is the F key, G𝄪 is the A key on the keyboard.
| Note | Interval from the root | Half steps |
|---|---|---|
| C♯ | Root | 0 |
| E♯ (the F key) | Major 3rd | 4 |
| G𝄪 (the A key) | 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 C♯aug/F
E♯ – G𝄪 – C♯
Right hand 1-2-5Left hand 5-3-1
The piano studio names these keys Faug: the same notes, read from another root.
2nd inversion C♯aug/A
G𝄪 – C♯ – E♯
Right hand 1-3-5Left hand 5-2-1
The piano studio names these keys Aaug: the same notes, read from another root.
Where it lives
Keys and scales with C♯ Augmented
Every key where C♯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.
C♯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 C♯ Augmented chord?
The C♯ Augmented chord (C♯aug) 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 C♯aug 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 C♯aug?
root position C♯aug (C♯ E♯ G𝄪); 1st inversion C♯aug/F (E♯ G𝄪 C♯); 2nd inversion C♯aug/A (G𝄪 C♯ E♯).
Is C♯ Augmented the same as D♭ 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 C♯aug and build a progression on it
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