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. On the keyboard A♭ is a black key and C and E are white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. 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 at fret 4: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
A♭ · C · E
Try A♭ Augmented on the virtual piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
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.
How A♭ Augmented differs from similar chords
A♭+ raises the fifth of A♭ by a half step, so it stacks two major thirds and has no perfect fifth at all. That makes it the mirror image of A♭°, which stacks two minor thirds. Because three major thirds split the octave evenly, the same three notes form an augmented chord on each of them.
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. On the keyboard A♭ is a black key and C and E are white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play A♭ Augmented on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 4: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
- 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.