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C Augmented Chord
The C Augmented Chord is C, E, and G-sharp: C major with the top note raised to the black key. The two intervals are the same size, so the chord has no clear point of rest, and it tends to sound suspended, as if it's waiting for something. With the G-sharp under the fifth finger, we can let the hand angle slightly toward the black keys.
How to play the C Augmented Chord on the piano
Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the C Augmented Chord and how to play it in the various forms you will encounter in pieces of music. First, we’ll look at the fundamental chord and its inversions; then, we’ll explore some more complex voicings.
The C Augmented Chord in root position
In root position, the notes of the C augmented chord are stacked in thirds with C on the bottom. The appearance on the staff is evenly spaced, as is the feeling of the space in between your fingers while playing.
| C Augmented Chord in root position | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | C E G♯ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Caug or C+ |
The C Augmented Chord in first inversion
In first inversion, the third of the chord (E) becomes the bottom note, and the root (C) jumps up to the top.
| C Augmented Chord in 1st inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | E G♯ C |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | C+6 or C+/E |
The C Augmented Chord in second inversion
In second inversion, the fifth of the chord (G♯) is on the bottom, and the third of the chord (E) goes to the top.
| C Augmented Chord in 2nd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | G♯ C E |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | C+6/4 or C+/G♯ |
C Augmented Chord theory and function
An augmented chord stacks two major thirds. Because the intervals are equal, no note sounds like a tonic, and the chord has no place to rest. It is a coloring chord, not a home chord: it hangs in the air and asks for a resolution.
The C augmented chord is the raised-fifth dominant (V+) in F major. In minor keys, it is the mediant (III+) in A minor.
It is often heard in the chromatic line C – C+ – C6 – C7, where the top voice rises G, G♯, A, B♭ and the raised fifth is the step that makes it move. The same three notes also make E augmented and G♯ augmented, so one shape on the keyboard serves three chords, and the key decides which name is right. Try playing C and then C+ and listen to how the raised top note lifts the sound.
Other chords built on C
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