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. It's enharmonically the same chord as B 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
- 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 E♭ is a black key and C♭ and G are white. C♭ is the key you'd normally call B. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C♭1
- E♭3
- 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 7: 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
Also known as B Augmented
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C♭(Cb) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | E♭(Eb) | |
| ♯5 | Augmented fifth | 8 | 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.
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.
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♭
G Altered
G · A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · D♭ · E♭ · F
A♭ Harmonic Minor
A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · D♭ · E♭ · F♭ · G
A♭ Melodic Minor
A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · D♭ · E♭ · F · G
A♭ Hungarian Minor
A♭ · B♭ · C♭ · D · E♭ · F♭ · G
A♭ Neapolitan Major
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 (Cb, Eb 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 E♭ is a black key and C♭ and G are white. C♭ is the key you'd normally call B.
- How do you play C♭ 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 is another name for the C♭ Augmented chord?
- C♭ 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.