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. It's enharmonically the same chord as E 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
- F♭ · A♭ · C
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♯5
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 8
- Note
- F♭
- Quality
- Augmented
- Symbol
- F♭+
F♭ 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 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 A♭ is a black key and F♭ and C are white. F♭ is the key you'd normally call E. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- F♭1
- A♭3
- C♯5
F♭ Augmented on guitar
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. The fretted notes sit between frets 7 and 10. Don't play strings 6 and 1.
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
Also known as E Augmented
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | F♭(Fb) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | A♭(Ab) | |
| ♯5 | Augmented fifth | 8 | 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
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key F♭ 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 F♭+
These scales include F♭+ 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 F♭ Augmented chord?
- The F♭ Augmented chord contains F♭, A♭ and C (Fb, Ab 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 A♭ is a black key and F♭ and C are white. F♭ is the key you'd normally call E.
- How do you play F♭ 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 is another name for the F♭ Augmented chord?
- F♭ Augmented is enharmonically equivalent to E Augmented. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.