In a descending line clichéF major
The descending line cliché: the fifth of the tonic rises a semitone, then falls into the third of the vi.
F Augmented Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The F Augmented chord is built on the root note F. Its notes are F, A and C♯.
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
- F · A · C♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♯5
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 8
- Note
- F
- Quality
- Augmented
- Symbol
- F+
F 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 F Augmented on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on F, middle finger on A and little finger on C♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard C♯ is a black key and F and A are white. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- F1
- A3
- C♯♯5
F Augmented on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, F 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.
F · A · C♯
Play F Augmented on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
F Augmented chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | F | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | A | |
| ♯5 | Augmented fifth | 8 | C♯(C#) |
How to use the F Augmented chord
The F Augmented chord is built from a root, a major third and an augmented fifth. Start at the root F and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: F, A and C♯. 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 F Augmented differs from similar chords
F+ raises the fifth of F by a half step, so it stacks two major thirds and has no perfect fifth at all. That makes it the mirror image of F°, 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 F 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 dominantB♭ major
- V+F+
- IB♭
Raising the fifth of the dominant sharpens its pull into B♭.
Scales that contain F+
These scales include F+ as one of their diatonic chords. Use them to find melodies and improvisation ideas that fit perfectly.
C♯ Altered
C♯ · D · E · F · G · A · B
D Harmonic Minor
D · E · F · G · A · B♭ · C♯
D Melodic Minor
D · E · F · G · A · B · C♯
D Hungarian Minor
D · E · F · G♯ · A · B♭ · C♯
D Neapolitan Major
D · E♭ · F · G · A · B · C♯
D Neapolitan Minor
D · E♭ · F · G · A · B♭ · C♯
E Neapolitan Major
E · F · G · A · B · C♯ · D♯
F Lydian Augmented
F · G · A · B · C♯ · D · E
F Enigmatic
F · G♭ · A · B · C♯ · D♯ · E
G Lydian Dominant
G · A · B · C♯ · D · E · F
A Harmonic Major
A · B · C♯ · D · E · F · G♯
A Phrygian Dominant
A · B♭ · C♯ · D · E · F · G
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the F Augmented chord?
- The F Augmented chord contains F, A and C♯ (F, A and C# in plain text).
- Is the F Augmented chord major or minor?
- F 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 F Augmented on piano?
- Place your fingers on F, A and C♯ 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 F and A are white.
- How do you play F 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 chords work well with F Augmented?
- F 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.