05/06/2023
Learn How To Form Augmented Chords on Piano Easily.
In this lesson, you will learn how to play every single augmented chord.
One way to form an augmented chord is to play a major chord (in root position) and to play the third note in that chord a half step higher. For example, play the chord, C major whose notes are C, E and G. To form the augmented, simply play the note, G a half step higher. In other words, change G to G #. The notes of C augmented are therefore, C, E and G #. This chord is written like this: Caug or C+.
Try it with the D major chord. Play the notes, D, F # and A, then play A a half step (or semitone) higher, resulting in D, F # and A #. D, F # and A # played together is a Daug chord.
Or how about Eaug? Play the E major chord whose notes are E, G # and B, then raise the third note of the chord by a half step. The notes of the E augmented chord are therefore E, G # and C.
Try this with every major chord. This is what your augmented chords should look like.
C augmented: C-E-G #
C # augmented: C #-E #-A
D augmented: D-F #-A #
Eb augmented: Eb-G-B
E augmented: E-G #-C
F augmented: F-A-C #
F # augmented: F #-A #-D
G augmented: G-B-D #
Ab augmented: Ab-C-E
A augmented: A-C F.
Bb augmented: Bb-D-F #
B augmented: B-D #-G
Augmented Chords
You can form augmented chords by skipping keys. Simply play a key, skip three keys, play a key skip three keys and play a key. For instance, play the note, C, skip three keys (C #, D and D #) play E, skip three keys again (F, F # and G) and play G #. C-E-G # is a Caug chord.
To play the chord, Faug, play F, skip three keys (F #, G and G #), play A, skip three keys (A #, B and C) and play C #. The notes of the F augmented chord are F-A-C #.
Try a Gaug chord. Play G, skip three keys (G #, A and A #), play B, skip three keys (C, C # and D) and play D #. The notes of the G+ chord are G-B-D #.
Practice the augmented chords with your left hand as well.
So as I said, you can form augmented chords in different ways. One way is by skipping keys, as we just saw. Simply play a key, skip three keys, play a key skip three keys and play a key. Or you can think of this chord in terms of a major chord (in root position) with its third note raised by a half step.
In terms of the major scale, an augmented chord combines notes 1, 2 and sharp 5. For example, the notes of the C major scale are C D E F G A B. To form the chord, C augmented, you combine note 1 of that scale, C, note 3, E and the sharp fifth, G #. Instead of playing the fifth note of the scale, you raise it by a half step and play G #.
After you practice playing each hand separately, play both hands together. Simply go up the scale in a chromatic manner. In other words, play Caug, followed by C , followed by Daug, followed by D and so on.
