Faug7: F Augmented 7th Piano Chord

Root position: either hand, fingers low note to high
Hand	Notes	Fingers
Right	F, A, C♯, E♭	1-2-3-5
Left	F, A, C♯, E♭	5-3-2-1

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
Degree	Note	Interval from root	Semitones
1	F	Perfect unison	0
3	A	Major third	4
♯5	C♯	Minor sixth	8
♭7	E♭	Minor seventh	10

Construction

F Augmented 7th = Root + Major 3rd + Minor 6th + Minor 7th = F, A, C♯, E♭

Note	Interval	Degree
F	Root	1
A	Major 3rd	3
C♯	Minor 6th	♯5
E♭	Minor 7th	♭7

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
F	white	thumb (1)	little finger (5)
A	white	index finger (2)	middle finger (3)
C♯	black	middle finger (3)	index finger (2)
E♭	black	little finger (5)	thumb (1)

Right hand: thumb (1) on F, index finger (2) on A, middle finger (3) on C♯, little finger (5) on E♭.

Left hand: little finger (5) on F, middle finger (3) on A, index finger (2) on C♯, thumb (1) on E♭.

F Augmented 7th Inversions

Root position
F – A – C♯ – E♭
1st inversion (Faug7/A)
A – C♯ – E♭ – F
2nd inversion (Faug7/C♯)
C♯ – E♭ – F – A
3rd inversion (Faug7/E♭)
E♭ – F – A – C♯

Key Signature

A Augmented 7th chord is built from symmetrical or ambiguous intervals, so it doesn't belong to a single key and has no key signature of its own.

Chords in the Key of F Major

These are the triads built on each degree of F Major:

I — F Major (major)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	I	F Major	Major
2	ii	G Minor	Minor
3	iii	A Minor	Minor
4	IV	B♭ Major	Major
5	V	C Major	Major
6	vi	D Minor	Minor
7	vii°	E Diminished	Diminished

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes F – A – C♯ – E♭ aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell:

F 7♯5→

F Augmented 7th : Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in Faug7?

Faug7 contains F, A, C♯ and E♭. The formula is 1, 3, ♯5, ♭7.

How do you play Faug7 on piano?

Play F, A, C♯ and E♭ together. Right hand fingers 1, 2, 3, 5; left hand 5, 3, 2, 1. C♯ and E♭ are black keys; F and A are white.

What are the inversions of Faug7?

4 positions: root position F A C♯ E♭, Faug7/A, Faug7/C♯, Faug7/E♭.

What is the difference between Faug7 and Faug?

Drops E♭. 3 of the notes are shared.

What is an easy Faug7 for small hands?

The guide tones, 3 and ♭7 voicing, A3 E♭4, spans 6 semitones or about 83 mm.

What are the frequencies of Faug7?

From F3 at A440 in 12-TET: 174.61, 220.00, 277.18, 311.13 Hz.

What is the set class of Faug7?

Prime form (0248), Forte 4-24, interval vector <020301>.

How do I transpose Faug7 to another key?

Keep the 1, 3, ♯5, ♭7 formula on the new root. Caug7 is C, E, G♯, B♭; D♭aug7 is D♭, F, A, C♭.

F Augmented 7th in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Close, root position	F3 A3 C♯4 E♭4	10	138 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	A3 C♯4 E♭4 F4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	C♯4 E♭4 F4 A4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Close, third inversion	E♭4 F4 A4 C♯5	10	138 mm	none	identical
Drop 2	C♯3 F3 A3 E♭4	14	193 mm	none	identical
Drop 3	A2 F3 C♯4 E♭4	18	248 mm	none	identical
Drop 2 and 4	F2 C♯3 A3 E♭4	22	303 mm	none	identical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Shell, root ♭7 3	F2 E♭3 A3	16	220 mm	omits C♯	subset
Guide tones, 3 and ♭7	A3 E♭4	6	83 mm	omits F and C♯	subset
Rootless close	A3 C♯4 E♭4	6	83 mm	omits F	subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Position	Bass note	Notes in order	Figured bass	Semitones	Span
Root position	F	F3, A3, C♯4, E♭4	7	10	138 mm
First inversion: Faug7/A	A	A3, C♯4, E♭4, F4	6/5	8	110 mm
Second inversion: Faug7/C♯	C♯	C♯4, E♭4, F4, A4	4/3	8	110 mm
Third inversion: Faug7/E♭	E♭	E♭4, F4, A4, C♯5	4/2	10	138 mm

One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

Chord	Change	Formula	Common tones
Faug	drops E♭	1 3 ♯5	3
F7	C♯ becomes C	1 3 5 ♭7	3
F9	C♯ becomes C, G	1 3 5 ♭7 9	3
F	C♯, E♭ becomes C	1 3 5	2
Fmaj7	C♯, E♭ becomes C, E	1 3 5 7	2
Fm7	A, C♯ becomes A♭, C	1 ♭3 5 ♭7	2
Fm7♭5	A, C♯ becomes A♭, C♭	1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7	2
F7sus4	A, C♯ becomes B♭, C	1 4 5 ♭7	2
F6	C♯, E♭ becomes C, D	1 3 5 6	2
Fadd9	C♯, E♭ becomes C, G	1 3 5 9	2

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
F3	53	174.61 Hz
A3	57	220.00 Hz
C♯4	61	277.18 Hz
E♭4	63	311.13 Hz

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {5, 9, 1, 3}
Normal order: [1, 3, 5, 9]
Prime form: (0248)
Forte number: 4-24
Interval vector: <020301>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
F to A	Major third	4	4
F to C♯	Minor sixth	8	4
F to E♭	Minor seventh	10	2
A to C♯	Major third	4	4
A to E♭	Tritone	6	6
C♯ to E♭	Major second	2	2

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a augmented 7th applied to the root F, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.

F Augmented 7th

Fingerings

F Augmented 7th: notes and degrees