B augmented (Baug) chord on mandolin

Looking for the Baug chord on mandolin? It is an augmented triad (two major thirds), made of three notes: B – D♯ – F𝄪.

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Position 3medium

Position 5easy

Position 7medium

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

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the Baug 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 Baug chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	B	root
3	D♯	major third (4 semitones)
5	F𝄪	augmented fifth (8 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (E): fret 3, ring finger (F𝄪5)
String 2 (A): fret 2, middle finger (B4)
String 3 (D): fret 1, index finger (D♯4)
String 4 (G): open (F𝄪3)

Position 3

String 1 (E): fret 3, index finger (F𝄪5)
String 2 (A): fret 6, little finger (D♯5)
String 3 (D): fret 5, ring finger (F𝄪4)
String 4 (G): fret 4, middle finger (B3)

Position 5

String 1 (E): fret 7, ring finger (B5)
String 2 (A): fret 6, middle finger (D♯5)
String 3 (D): fret 5, index finger (F𝄪4)
String 4 (G): open (F𝄪3)

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

G♯ minor: III+

Similar chords and substitutes

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

Substitutes (by function)

B – the raised fifth falls back to a perfect fifth
E – as a passing chord it resolves here (V+ → I)

Same notes

E♭aug – the same notes with a different root
Gaug – the same notes with a different root

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Baug chord?

B, D♯, F𝄪. The root is B; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, augmented fifth.

What is the easiest way to play Baug 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.

Why do some songbooks write H instead of B?

In German and Central European notation, H is the note B, and B is the note B♭. So a “B” chord in a German or Hungarian songbook is B♭ in English notation, and an “H” chord is B. Always check which notation your chord chart uses.