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 D♭ 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 C♯ is a black key and E♯ and G𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call F and A. 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.
- 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 9: 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𝄪
Play C♯ Augmented on the online 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 D♭ Augmented
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C♯(C#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | E♯(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♯
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𝄪
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 C♯ is a black key and E♯ and G𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call F and A. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play C♯ Augmented on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 9: 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 D♭ Augmented. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.