In a descending line clichéC major
The descending line cliché: the fifth of the tonic rises a semitone, then falls into the third of the vi.
C Augmented Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C Augmented chord is built on the root note C. Its notes are C, E and G♯.
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
- C · E · G♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♯5
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 8
- Note
- C
- Quality
- Augmented
- Symbol
- C+
C 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 C Augmented on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on C, middle finger on E and little finger on G♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♯ is a black key and C and E are white. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C1
- E3
- G♯♯5
C Augmented on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, C Augmented is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 8: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
C · E · G♯
Try C Augmented on the virtual piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
C Augmented chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | E | |
| ♯5 | Augmented fifth | 8 | G♯(G#) |
How to use the C Augmented chord
The C Augmented chord is built from a root, a major third and an augmented fifth. Start at the root C and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: C, E and G♯. 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 C Augmented differs from similar chords
C+ raises the fifth of C by a half step, so it stacks two major thirds and has no perfect fifth at all. That makes it the mirror image of C°, 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 C 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 dominantF major
- V+C+
- IF
Raising the fifth of the dominant sharpens its pull into F.
Scales that contain C+
These scales include C+ as one of their diatonic chords. Use them to find melodies and improvisation ideas that fit perfectly.
C Lydian Augmented
C · D · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B
C Enigmatic
C · D♭ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B
D Lydian Dominant
D · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B · C
E Harmonic Major
E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B · C · D♯
E Phrygian Dominant
E · F · G♯ · A · B · C · D
E Gypsy Major
E · F · G♯ · A · B · C · D♯
E Persian
E · F · G♯ · A · B♭ · C · D♯
E Hindu
E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B · C · D
E Arabian
E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B♭ · C · D
F♯ Arabian
F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B · C · D · E
A Harmonic Minor
A · B · C · D · E · F · G♯
A Melodic Minor
A · B · C · D · E · F♯ · G♯
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the C Augmented chord?
- The C Augmented chord contains C, E and G♯ (C, E and G# in plain text).
- Is the C Augmented chord major or minor?
- C 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 C Augmented on piano?
- Place your fingers on C, E and G♯ 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 G♯ is a black key and C and E are white.
- How do you play C Augmented on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 8: 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 C Augmented?
- C 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.