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 B♭ Augmented.
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 notes
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♯ and E𝄪 are black keys and C𝄪 is white, the key you'd normally call D. 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
- C𝄪3
- E𝄪♯5
A♯ Augmented on guitar
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 6: 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𝄪
Play A♯ Augmented on the online 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 B♭ Augmented
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A♯(A#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | C𝄪(C##) | |
| ♯5 | Augmented fifth | 8 | E𝄪(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
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key A♯ Augmented would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
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.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the A♯ Augmented chord?
- The A♯ Augmented chord contains A♯, C𝄪 and E𝄪 (A#, 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♯ and E𝄪 are black keys and C𝄪 is white, the key you'd normally call D. 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 6: 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 B♭ Augmented. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.