In a descending line clichéA♭ major
The descending line cliché: the fifth of the tonic rises a semitone, then falls into the third of the vi.
A♭ Augmented Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The A♭ Augmented chord is built on the root note A♭. Its notes are A♭, C and E. It's enharmonically the same chord as G♯ Augmented.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Augmented chords feel floaty and uncertain. Raising the fifth of a major triad creates a symmetrical chord with no clear home, which suits transitions and dreamy film score moments.
- Notes
- A♭ · C · E
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♯5
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 8
- Note
- A♭
- Quality
- Augmented
- Symbol
- A♭+
A♭ Augmented on piano
3 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play A♭ Augmented on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on A♭, middle finger on C and little finger on E. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- A♭1
- C3
- E♯5
A♭ Augmented on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, A♭ Augmented is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre shape: keep the index finger flat across the fretboard and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram.
A♭ Augmented chord notes
Also known as G♯ Augmented
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A♭(Ab) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | C | |
| ♯5 | Augmented fifth | 8 | E |
How to use the A♭ Augmented chord
The A♭ Augmented chord is built from a root, a major third and an augmented fifth. Start at the root A♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: A♭, C and E. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Augmented chords show up in jazz, bossa nova, film scores and psychedelic rock. They're often used as a brief transition chord, for example between I and vi in a major key.
Where A♭ Augmented is used
An augmented chord is unstable by construction: it turns up as a passing tonic inside a descending line, and as a dominant sharpened to pull harder.
As an altered dominantD♭ major
- V+A♭+
- ID♭
Raising the fifth of the dominant sharpens its pull into D♭.
Scales that contain A♭+
These scales include A♭+ as one of their diatonic chords. Use them to find melodies and improvisation ideas that fit perfectly.
C Harmonic Major
C · D · E · F · G · A♭ · B
C Phrygian Dominant
C · D♭ · E · F · G · A♭ · B♭
C Gypsy Major
C · D♭ · E · F · G · A♭ · B
C Persian
C · D♭ · E · F · G♭ · A♭ · B
C Hindu
C · D · E · F · G · A♭ · B♭
C Arabian
C · D · E · F · G♭ · A♭ · B♭
D Arabian
D · E · F♯ · G · A♭ · B♭ · C
E Altered
E · F · G · A♭ · B♭ · C · D
F Harmonic Minor
F · G · A♭ · B♭ · C · D♭ · E
F Melodic Minor
F · G · A♭ · B♭ · C · D · E
F Hungarian Minor
F · G · A♭ · B · C · D♭ · E
F Neapolitan Major
F · G♭ · A♭ · B♭ · C · D · E
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the A♭ Augmented chord?
- The A♭ Augmented chord contains A♭, C and E (Ab, C and E in plain text).
- Is the A♭ Augmented chord major or minor?
- A♭ Augmented is a augmented chord. Augmented chords feel floaty and uncertain. Raising the fifth of a major triad creates a symmetrical chord with no clear home, which suits transitions and dreamy film score moments.
- How do you play A♭ Augmented on piano?
- Place your fingers on A♭, C and E and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right.
- How do you play A♭ Augmented on guitar?
- A♭ Augmented is typically played with the fingering shown in the diagram above. If one of the chord tones lines up with an open string, an open position is worth trying too.
- What is another name for the A♭ Augmented chord?
- A♭ Augmented is enharmonically equivalent to G♯ Augmented. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.