C♭aug: C♭ Augmented Piano Chord

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

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

Construction

C♭ Augmented = Root + Major 3rd + Minor 6th = C♭, E♭, G

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

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
C♭	white	thumb (1)	little finger (5)
E♭	black	middle finger (3)	middle finger (3)
G	white	little finger (5)	thumb (1)

Right hand: thumb (1) on C♭, middle finger (3) on E♭, little finger (5) on G.

Left hand: little finger (5) on C♭, middle finger (3) on E♭, thumb (1) on G.

C♭ Augmented Inversions

Root position
C♭ – E♭ – G
1st inversion (C♭aug/E♭)
E♭ – G – C♭
2nd inversion (C♭aug/G)
G – C♭ – E♭

Key Signature

A Augmented 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 C♭ Major

These are the triads built on each degree of C♭ Major:

I — C♭ Major (major)

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

Same Notes, Other Names

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

D♯ Augmented→G Augmented→

C♭ Augmented : Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in C♭aug?

C♭aug contains C♭, E♭ and G. The formula is 1, 3, ♯5.

How do you play C♭aug on piano?

Play C♭, E♭ and G together. Right hand fingers 1, 3, 5; left hand 5, 3, 1. E♭ is a black key; C♭ and G are white.

What are the inversions of C♭aug?

3 positions: root position C♭ E♭ G, C♭aug/E♭, C♭aug/G.

What is the difference between C♭aug and C♭aug7?

Adds B♭♭. 3 of the notes are shared.

What is an easy C♭aug for small hands?

The root and third only voicing, C♭3 E♭4, spans 4 semitones or about 55 mm.

What are the frequencies of C♭aug?

From C♭3 at A440 in 12-TET: 246.94, 311.13, 392.00 Hz.

What is the set class of C♭aug?

Prime form (048), Forte 3-12, interval vector <000300>.

How do I transpose C♭aug to another key?

Keep the 1, 3, ♯5 formula on the new root. Caug is C, E, G♯; D♭aug is D♭, F, A.

Is Baug the same as C♭aug?

Enharmonically yes: the same piano keys and the same sound, spelled differently.

C♭ Augmented 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	C♭3 E♭4 G4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	E♭4 G4 C♭4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	G4 C♭4 E♭5	8	110 mm	none	identical
Open, fifth on top	C♭2 G3 E♭4	16	220 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	Fit
Root and third only	C♭3 E♭4	4	55 mm	omits G	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	C♭	C♭3, E♭4, G4	5/3	8	110 mm
First inversion: C♭aug/E♭	E♭	E♭4, G4, C♭4	6/3	8	110 mm
Second inversion: C♭aug/G	G	G4, C♭4, E♭5	6/4	8	110 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
C♭aug7	adds B♭♭	1 3 ♯5 ♭7	3
C♭	G becomes G♭	1 3 5	2
C♭maj7	G becomes G♭, B♭	1 3 5 7	2
C♭7	G becomes G♭, B♭♭	1 3 5 ♭7	2
C♭6	G becomes G♭, A♭	1 3 5 6	2
C♭add9	G becomes G♭, D♭	1 3 5 9	2
C♭m	E♭, G becomes E♭♭, G♭	1 ♭3 5	1
C♭dim	E♭, G becomes E♭♭, G♭♭	1 ♭3 ♭5	1
C♭sus2	E♭, G becomes D♭, G♭	1 2 5	1
C♭sus4	E♭, G becomes F♭, G♭	1 4 5	1

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
C♭3	59	246.94 Hz
E♭4	63	311.13 Hz
G4	67	392.00 Hz

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

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {11, 3, 7}
Normal order: [3, 7, 11]
Prime form: (048)
Forte number: 3-12
Interval vector: <000300>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
C♭ to E♭	Major third	4	4
C♭ to G	Minor sixth	8	4
E♭ to G	Major third	4	4

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a augmented applied to the root C♭, 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.

C♭ Augmented

Fingerings

C♭ Augmented: notes and degrees