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E♭ Augmented Chord on Piano

E♭aug E♭ G B Formula 1 3 #5 3 notes

Also written D♯ aug: the same keys under another name.

Open E♭aug in the studio
Notes

What notes are in the E♭ Augmented chord?

The E♭ Augmented chord has 3 notes: E♭, G, B. 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.

NoteInterval from the rootHalf steps
E♭Root0
GMajor 3rd4
BAugmented 5th8
Inversions and fingering

Every way to play E♭ 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.

Root position E♭aug

E♭ Augmented chord, root position: E♭ G BGBE♭

E♭ – G – B

Right hand 1-3-5Left hand 5-3-1

1st inversion E♭aug/G

E♭ Augmented chord, 1st inversion: G B E♭GBE♭

G – B – E♭

Right hand 1-2-5Left hand 5-3-1

The piano studio names these keys Gaug: the same notes, read from another root.

2nd inversion E♭aug/B

E♭ Augmented chord, 2nd inversion: B E♭ GBGE♭

B – E♭ – G

Right hand 1-3-5Left hand 5-2-1

The piano studio names these keys Baug: the same notes, read from another root.

Where it lives

Keys and scales with E♭ Augmented

Every key where E♭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.

E♭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 E♭ Augmented chord?

The E♭ Augmented chord (E♭aug) is made of E♭, G, B. Its formula is 1 3 #5 - the root, then the intervals of a augmented chord.

How do you play E♭aug on the piano?

Put your right thumb on E♭ 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 E♭aug?

root position E♭aug (E♭ G B); 1st inversion E♭aug/G (G B E♭); 2nd inversion E♭aug/B (B E♭ G).

Is E♭ 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 E♭aug and build a progression on it

The GOONS piano studio has up to 88 keys, real piano samples, MIDI keyboard support, chord pads in any key and a sequencer. It comes with the GOONS Studio subscription - start with the 7-day free trial, no card required.