Questions and answers
No questions on this lesson yet. Be the first to ask one.
Lesson Steps
Add a header to begin generating the table of contents
D-flat Augmented Chord
The D-flat Augmented Chord is D-flat, F, and A, with the thumb on a black key and two white keys above. The spacing is even, and the sound has that suspended, unresolved quality of augmented chords. Starting on a black key, the thumb wants to sit slightly further in than it would on a white key.
How to play the D-flat Augmented Chord on the piano
Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the D-flat 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 D-flat Augmented Chord in root position
In root position, the notes of the D♭ augmented chord are stacked in thirds with D♭ on the bottom. The appearance on the staff is evenly spaced, as is the feeling of the space in between your fingers while playing.
| D-flat Augmented Chord in root position | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | D♭ F A |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | D♭aug or D♭+ |
The D-flat Augmented Chord in first inversion
In first inversion, the third of the chord (F) becomes the bottom note, and the root (D♭) jumps up to the top.
| D-flat Augmented Chord in 1st inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | F A D♭ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | D♭+6 or D♭+/F |
The D-flat Augmented Chord in second inversion
In second inversion, the fifth of the chord (A) is on the bottom, and the third of the chord (F) goes to the top.
| D-flat Augmented Chord in 2nd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | A D♭ F |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | D♭+6/4 or D♭+/A |
D-flat 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 D♭ augmented chord is the raised-fifth dominant (V+) in G♭ major. In minor keys, it is the mediant (III+) in B♭ minor. On the keyboard this is the same chord as C♯ augmented, a spelling none of the common keys uses.
It is often heard in the chromatic line D♭ – D♭+ – D♭6 – D♭7, where the top voice rises A♭, A, B♭, C♭ and the raised fifth is the step that makes it move. The same three notes also make F augmented and A augmented, so one shape on the keyboard serves three chords, and the key decides which name is right. Try playing D♭ and then D♭+ and listen to how the raised top note lifts the sound.
Other chords built on D-flat
Lesson Steps
Add a header to begin generating the table of contents