A♭ augmented (A♭aug) chord on guitar

Augmented triad (two major thirds) on A♭: the notes of the A♭aug chord are A♭ – C – E. The same chord with a different spelling: G♯ augmented (G♯aug).

Dots show:

Easy versioneasy

Position 2medium

Position 4medium

Position 6medium

Position 8medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

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What the A♭aug chord sounds like

An augmented triad is two stacked major thirds. It sounds floating, dreamlike and unresolved, and is often a passing chord (e.g. C → Caug → F or Am).

Notes of the A♭aug chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	A♭	root
3	C	major third (4 semitones)
5	E	augmented fifth (8 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Easy version, barre at fret 1

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): fret 1, index finger (C4)
String 3 (G): fret 1, index finger (A♭3)
String 4 (D): not played
String 5 (A): not played
String 6 (E): not played

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 1; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 2

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): fret 5, little finger (E4)
String 3 (G): fret 5, little finger (C4)
String 4 (D): fret 2, index finger (E3)
String 5 (A): fret 3, middle finger (C3)
String 6 (E): fret 4, ring finger (A♭2)

Position 4

String 1 (e): fret 4, index finger (A♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 5, ring finger (E4)
String 3 (G): fret 5, middle finger (C4)
String 4 (D): fret 6, little finger (A♭3)
String 5 (A): not played
String 6 (E): not played

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The A♭aug chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

F minor: III+

Similar chords and substitutes

If A♭aug is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

A♭ – the raised fifth falls back to a perfect fifth
C♯ – as a passing chord it resolves here (V+ → I)

Same notes

Caug – the same notes with a different root
Eaug – the same notes with a different root

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A♭aug chord?

A♭, C, E. The root is A♭; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, augmented fifth.

What is the easiest way to play A♭aug on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Easy version”, rated easy. We show 6 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

How is the A♭aug chord written?

The chord symbol is A♭aug (also written Abaug), and its full name is A♭ augmented.