As an altered dominantC♯ major
- V+G♯+
- IC♯
Raising the fifth of the dominant sharpens its pull into C♯.
G♯ Augmented Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The G♯ Augmented chord is built on the root note G♯. Its notes are G♯, B♯ and D𝄪. It's enharmonically the same chord as A♭ 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
- G♯ · B♯ · D𝄪
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♯5
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 8
- Note
- G♯
- Quality
- Augmented
- Symbol
- G♯+
G♯ 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 G♯ Augmented on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on G♯, middle finger on B♯ and little finger on D𝄪. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♯ is a black key and B♯ and D𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call C and E. 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.
- G♯1
- B♯3
- D𝄪♯5
G♯ Augmented on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, G♯ Augmented is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 4: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
G♯ · B♯ · D𝄪
Play G♯ Augmented on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
G♯ Augmented chord notes
Also known as A♭ Augmented
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | G♯(G#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | B♯(B#) | |
| ♯5 | Augmented fifth | 8 | D𝄪(D##) |
How to use the G♯ Augmented chord
The G♯ Augmented chord is built from a root, a major third and an augmented fifth. Start at the root G♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: G♯, B♯ and D𝄪. 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 G♯ Augmented differs from similar chords
G♯+ raises the fifth of G♯ by a half step, so it stacks two major thirds and has no perfect fifth at all. That makes it the mirror image of G♯°, 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 G♯ 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.
Scales that contain G♯+
These scales include G♯+ as one of their diatonic chords. Use them to find melodies and improvisation ideas that fit perfectly.
E♯ Harmonic Minor
E♯ · F𝄪 · G♯ · A♯ · B♯ · C♯ · D𝄪
E♯ Melodic Minor
E♯ · F𝄪 · G♯ · A♯ · B♯ · C𝄪 · D𝄪
E♯ Hungarian Minor
E♯ · F𝄪 · G♯ · A𝄪 · B♯ · C♯ · D𝄪
E♯ Neapolitan Major
E♯ · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B♯ · C𝄪 · D𝄪
E♯ Neapolitan Minor
E♯ · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B♯ · C♯ · D𝄪
G♯ Lydian Augmented
G♯ · A♯ · B♯ · C𝄪 · D𝄪 · E♯ · F𝄪
G♯ Enigmatic
G♯ · A · B♯ · C𝄪 · D𝄪 · E𝄪 · F𝄪
A♯ Lydian Dominant
A♯ · B♯ · C𝄪 · D𝄪 · E♯ · F𝄪 · G♯
B♯ Harmonic Major
B♯ · C𝄪 · D𝄪 · E♯ · F𝄪 · G♯ · A𝄪
B♯ Phrygian Dominant
B♯ · C♯ · D𝄪 · E♯ · F𝄪 · G♯ · A♯
B♯ Gypsy Major
B♯ · C♯ · D𝄪 · E♯ · F𝄪 · G♯ · A𝄪
B♯ Persian
B♯ · C♯ · D𝄪 · E♯ · F♯ · G♯ · A𝄪
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the G♯ Augmented chord?
- The G♯ Augmented chord contains G♯, B♯ and D𝄪 (G#, B# and D## in plain text).
- Is the G♯ Augmented chord major or minor?
- G♯ 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 G♯ Augmented on piano?
- Place your fingers on G♯, B♯ and D𝄪 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 B♯ and D𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call C and E. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play G♯ Augmented on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 4: 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 G♯ Augmented chord?
- G♯ Augmented is enharmonically equivalent to A♭ Augmented. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.