Eaug chord on piano
Eaug (E augmented) is a augmented chord built on E. It has 3 notes, E, G♯ and B♯, and its formula is 1 3 ♯5.
Notes and intervals of Eaug
From the root upwards, Eaug contains root (E), major 3rd (G♯) and augmented 5th (B♯). Those intervals give the chord its colour: the formula 1 3 ♯5 works the same way in every key, so once you know it for E you can build the chord on any note.
| Degree | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | E |
| 3 | major 3rd | G♯ |
| ♯5 | augmented 5th | B♯ |
How to play Eaug on piano
Find E and play E, G♯ and B♯ together. With the right hand, a common fingering is 1-3-5. With the left hand, reverse it (5-3-1). Keep your wrist level and let the fingers curve, so all 3 keys go down at the same time.
Inversions of Eaug
An inversion keeps the same notes but puts another one in the bass. Eaug has 2 inversions besides root position: 1st inversion (G♯ B♯ E) and 2nd inversion (B♯ E G♯). Inversions let you move between chords with tiny hand movements, which is how pianists make progressions sound smooth.
Which keys use Eaug?
Eaug 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 Eaug
No common scale on E contains every note of Eaug. Improvise with the arpeggio (play only E, G♯ and B♯) 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 Eaug chord?
Eaug (E augmented) contains E, G♯ and B♯. In intervals: root (E), major 3rd (G♯) and augmented 5th (B♯).
How do you play Eaug on piano?
Play E, G♯ and B♯ 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 Eaug?
No common scale on E contains every note of Eaug; improvise with its arpeggio, E, G♯ and B♯.
What key is Eaug in?
Eaug 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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