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Triads · Chord Type

Augmented Chord

An ambiguous, dreamlike triad built from two stacked major thirds.

0 st4 st8 st

How to Hear It

Three stacked major thirds create an eerie, unresolved floating sound. It wants to move somewhere but is ambiguous about where.

Hear the Augmented Chord

Famous Examples

  • Oh! You Pretty Things (Daug) — Bowie
  • Crying (Caug) — Roy Orbison

Augmented in All 12 Keys

C+C#+D♭+D+D#+E♭+E+F+F#+G♭+G+G#+A♭+A+A#+B♭+B+

Related Triads

MMajormMinor°Diminishedsus2Sus2

About the Augmented Chord

Built from the semitone intervals 0, 4, 8 from the root, the augmented chord belongs to the triads family and appears across virtually every genre of music.

To train your ear to recognise the augmented chord instantly, practice hearing it in all 12 keys. Use the links above to target specific roots, or open the full recognition trainer.