Baug chord on piano
The Baug chord, or B augmented, stacks 3 notes on B: B, D♯ and F𝄪. Musicians write its formula 1 3 ♯5.
Notes and intervals of Baug
Each note of Baug has a job. Counted from the root, you get root (B), major 3rd (D♯) and augmented 5th (F𝄪). Change one of these intervals and you get a different chord, which is why the formula 1 3 ♯5 is worth memorising rather than the shape alone.
| Degree | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | B |
| 3 | major 3rd | D♯ |
| ♯5 | augmented 5th | F𝄪 |
How to play Baug on piano
Put your right-hand thumb on B, then add the other notes: B, D♯ and F𝄪. Teachers usually suggest the fingering 1-3-5 (left hand: 5-3-1). Press the keys together, release, and repeat until the chord sounds even.
Inversions of Baug
An inversion keeps the same notes but puts another one in the bass. Baug has 2 inversions besides root position: 1st inversion (D♯ F𝄪 B) and 2nd inversion (F𝄪 B D♯). Inversions let you move between chords with tiny hand movements, which is how pianists make progressions sound smooth.
Which keys use Baug?
Baug is not built from the notes of a single major key, so it usually appears as a colour chord: a borrowed chord, a passing chord or a suspension that resolves to the next chord.
Scales to play over Baug
No common scale on B contains every note of Baug. Improvise with the arpeggio (play only B, D♯ and F𝄪) and add passing notes between them.
About augmented chords
Two stacked major thirds: 1 3 ♯5. The raised fifth makes it strange, dreamy and suspended in mid-air. The augmented chord is symmetrical: it splits the octave into three equal major thirds, so three augmented chords a major third apart share the same notes (for example Caug, Eaug and G♯aug). For example Caug: C E G♯.
Its most common role is a passing chord: I I+ IV or I I+ vi, where the fifth climbs chromatically (for example C, C+, F: G, G♯, A). It also works as an altered dominant, V+ to I, where the ♯5 leads up to the third of the next chord. Jazz standards, 1960s pop and film music use it for that rising tension.
Play 1 3 ♯5 with fingers 1 3 5. The hand shape is identical in every inversion because each gap is a major third. As a passing chord, hold the root and third and move only the fifth up a semitone, then again (5, ♯5, 6). The left hand can sustain the root throughout.
aug is not 7♯5: 7♯5 adds a minor seventh. The symbols +, aug and (♯5) all mean the same triad. And spelling matters: the top note is a raised fifth (G♯ in Caug), not a minor sixth (A♭), even if they sound the same: G♯ moves up, while A♭ would move down.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the Baug chord?
Baug (B augmented) contains B, D♯ and F𝄪. In intervals: root (B), major 3rd (D♯) and augmented 5th (F𝄪).
How do you play Baug on piano?
Play B, D♯ and F𝄪 together with the right-hand fingering 1-3-5. You can also play it in 2 inversions, shown on this page.
What scale goes with Baug?
No common scale on B contains every note of Baug; improvise with its arpeggio, B, D♯ and F𝄪.
What key is Baug in?
Baug does not belong to a single major key. It is used as a colour chord that borrows notes from outside the key.
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