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𝄪. It's enharmonically the same chord as F Augmented.
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 notes
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 B𝄪 is a black key and E♯ and G𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call F and A. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- E♯1
- G𝄪3
- B𝄪♯5
E♯ Augmented on guitar
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. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
E♯ · G𝄪 · B𝄪
Play E♯ Augmented on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
E♯ Augmented chord notes
Also known as F Augmented
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E♯(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
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key E♯ Augmented would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
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.
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 B𝄪 is a black key and E♯ and G𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call F and A.
- How do you play E♯ Augmented on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 1: 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 E♯ Augmented chord?
- E♯ Augmented is enharmonically equivalent to F Augmented. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.