In a descending line clichéB major
The descending line cliché: the fifth of the tonic rises a semitone, then falls into the third of the vi.
B Augmented Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B Augmented chord is built on the root note B. Its notes are B, D♯ and F𝄪.
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
- B · D♯ · F𝄪
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♯5
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 8
- Note
- B
- Quality
- Augmented
- Symbol
- B+
B 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 B Augmented on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on B, middle finger on D♯ and little finger on F𝄪. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard D♯ is a black key and B and F𝄪 are white. F𝄪 is the key you'd normally call G. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B1
- D♯3
- F𝄪♯5
B Augmented on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B Augmented is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 7: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
B · D♯ · F𝄪
Play B Augmented on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
B Augmented chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | D♯(D#) | |
| ♯5 | Augmented fifth | 8 | F𝄪(F##) |
How to use the B Augmented chord
The B Augmented chord is built from a root, a major third and an augmented fifth. Start at the root B and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: B, D♯ and F𝄪. 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 B Augmented differs from similar chords
B+ raises the fifth of B by a half step, so it stacks two major thirds and has no perfect fifth at all. That makes it the mirror image of B°, 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 B 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 dominantE major
- V+B+
- IE
Raising the fifth of the dominant sharpens its pull into E.
Scales that contain B+
These scales include B+ as one of their diatonic chords. Use them to find melodies and improvisation ideas that fit perfectly.
C♯ Lydian Dominant
C♯ · D♯ · E♯ · F𝄪 · G♯ · A♯ · B
B Lydian Augmented
B · C♯ · D♯ · E♯ · F𝄪 · G♯ · A♯
B Enigmatic
B · C · D♯ · E♯ · F𝄪 · G𝄪 · A♯
D♯ Harmonic Major
D♯ · E♯ · F𝄪 · G♯ · A♯ · B · C𝄪
D♯ Phrygian Dominant
D♯ · E · F𝄪 · G♯ · A♯ · B · C♯
D♯ Gypsy Major
D♯ · E · F𝄪 · G♯ · A♯ · B · C𝄪
D♯ Persian
D♯ · E · F𝄪 · G♯ · A · B · C𝄪
D♯ Hindu
D♯ · E♯ · F𝄪 · G♯ · A♯ · B · C♯
D♯ Arabian
D♯ · E♯ · F𝄪 · G♯ · A · B · C♯
E♯ Arabian
E♯ · F𝄪 · G𝄪 · A♯ · B · C♯ · D♯
G♯ Harmonic Minor
G♯ · A♯ · B · C♯ · D♯ · E · F𝄪
G♯ Melodic Minor
G♯ · A♯ · B · C♯ · D♯ · E♯ · F𝄪
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the B Augmented chord?
- The B Augmented chord contains B, D♯ and F𝄪 (B, D# and F## in plain text).
- Is the B Augmented chord major or minor?
- B 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 B Augmented on piano?
- Place your fingers on B, D♯ and F𝄪 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 D♯ is a black key and B and F𝄪 are white. F𝄪 is the key you'd normally call G.
- How do you play B Augmented on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 7: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
- What chords work well with B Augmented?
- B Augmented pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.