A♭ augmented (A♭aug) chord on mandolin

The A♭ augmented chord (A♭aug) is an augmented triad (two major thirds), made of three notes: A♭ – C – E. The same chord with a different spelling: G♯ augmented (G♯aug).

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

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

Basic shape

String 1 (E): open (E5)
String 2 (A): fret 3, ring finger (C5)
String 3 (D): fret 2, middle finger (E4)
String 4 (G): fret 1, index finger (A♭3)

Position 4

String 1 (E): fret 4, index finger (A♭5)
String 2 (A): fret 7, little finger (E5)
String 3 (D): fret 6, ring finger (A♭4)
String 4 (G): fret 5, middle finger (C4)

Position 6

String 1 (E): fret 8, ring finger (C6)
String 2 (A): fret 7, middle finger (E5)
String 3 (D): fret 6, index finger (A♭4)
String 4 (G): fret 9, little finger (E4)

Tuning: G D A E, like a violin; every note is a pair of strings that you fret together. 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 mandolin?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, rated easy. We show 4 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.