In a descending line clichéE major
The descending line cliché: the fifth of the tonic rises a semitone, then falls into the third of the vi.
E Augmented Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The E Augmented chord is built on the root note E. Its notes are E, G♯ and B♯.
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
- E · G♯ · B♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♯5
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 8
- Note
- E
- Quality
- Augmented
- Symbol
- E+
E 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 E Augmented on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on E, middle finger on G♯ and little finger on B♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♯ is a black key and E and B♯ are white. B♯ is the key you'd normally call C. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- E1
- G♯3
- B♯♯5
E Augmented on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, E Augmented is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 7 and 10. Don't play strings 6 and 1.
E · G♯ · B♯
Try E Augmented on the virtual piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
E Augmented chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | G♯(G#) | |
| ♯5 | Augmented fifth | 8 | B♯(B#) |
How to use the E Augmented chord
The E Augmented chord is built from a root, a major third and an augmented fifth. Start at the root E and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: E, G♯ and B♯. 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 E Augmented differs from similar chords
E+ raises the fifth of E by a half step, so it stacks two major thirds and has no perfect fifth at all. That makes it the mirror image of E°, 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 E 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 dominantA major
- V+E+
- IA
Raising the fifth of the dominant sharpens its pull into A.
Scales that contain E+
These scales include E+ as one of their diatonic chords. Use them to find melodies and improvisation ideas that fit perfectly.
C♯ Harmonic Minor
C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B♯
C♯ Melodic Minor
C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B♯
C♯ Hungarian Minor
C♯ · D♯ · E · F𝄪 · G♯ · A · B♯
C♯ Neapolitan Major
C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B♯
C♯ Neapolitan Minor
C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B♯
E Lydian Augmented
E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B♯ · C♯ · D♯
E Enigmatic
E · F · G♯ · A♯ · B♯ · C𝄪 · D♯
F♯ Lydian Dominant
F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B♯ · C♯ · D♯ · E
D♯ Neapolitan Major
D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B♯ · C𝄪
G♯ Harmonic Major
G♯ · A♯ · B♯ · C♯ · D♯ · E · F𝄪
G♯ Phrygian Dominant
G♯ · A · B♯ · C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯
G♯ Gypsy Major
G♯ · A · B♯ · C♯ · D♯ · E · F𝄪
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the E Augmented chord?
- The E Augmented chord contains E, G♯ and B♯ (E, G# and B# in plain text).
- Is the E Augmented chord major or minor?
- E 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 E Augmented on piano?
- Place your fingers on E, G♯ and B♯ 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 E and B♯ are white. B♯ is the key you'd normally call C.
- How do you play E Augmented on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 7 and 10. Don't play strings 6 and 1.
- What chords work well with E Augmented?
- E 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.