D♭aug: C♯/D♭ Augmented Piano Chord

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

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

Construction

D♭ Augmented = Root + Major 3rd + Minor 6th = D♭, F, A

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

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
D♭	black	thumb (1)	little finger (5)
F	white	middle finger (3)	middle finger (3)
A	white	little finger (5)	thumb (1)

Right hand: thumb (1) on D♭, middle finger (3) on F, little finger (5) on A.

Left hand: little finger (5) on D♭, middle finger (3) on F, thumb (1) on A.

D♭ Augmented Inversions

Root position
D♭ – F – A
1st inversion (D♭aug/F)
F – A – D♭
2nd inversion (D♭aug/A)
A – D♭ – F

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 D♭ Major

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

I — D♭ Major (major)

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

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes D♭ – F – A 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:

A Augmented→F Augmented→

D♭ Augmented : Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in D♭aug?

D♭aug contains D♭, F and A. The formula is 1, 3, ♯5.

How do you play D♭aug on piano?

Play D♭, F and A together. Right hand fingers 1, 3, 5; left hand 5, 3, 1. D♭ is a black key; F and A are white.

What are the inversions of D♭aug?

3 positions: root position D♭ F A, D♭aug/F, D♭aug/A.

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

Adds C♭. 3 of the notes are shared.

What is an easy D♭aug for small hands?

The root and third only voicing, D♭3 F3, spans 4 semitones or about 55 mm.

What are the frequencies of D♭aug?

From D♭3 at A440 in 12-TET: 138.59, 174.61, 220.00 Hz.

What is the set class of D♭aug?

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

How do I transpose D♭aug to another key?

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

Is C♯aug the same as D♭aug?

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

D♭ 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	D♭3 F3 A3	8	110 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	F3 A3 D♭4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	A3 D♭4 F4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Open, fifth on top	D♭2 A2 F3	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	D♭3 F3	4	55 mm	omits A	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	D♭	D♭3, F3, A3	5/3	8	110 mm
First inversion: D♭aug/F	F	F3, A3, D♭4	6/3	8	110 mm
Second inversion: D♭aug/A	A	A3, D♭4, F4	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
D♭aug7	adds C♭	1 3 ♯5 ♭7	3
D♭	A becomes A♭	1 3 5	2
D♭maj7	A becomes A♭, C	1 3 5 7	2
D♭7	A becomes A♭, C♭	1 3 5 ♭7	2
D♭6	A becomes A♭, B♭	1 3 5 6	2
D♭add9	A becomes A♭, E♭	1 3 5 9	2
D♭m	F, A becomes F♭, A♭	1 ♭3 5	1
D♭dim	F, A becomes F♭, A♭♭	1 ♭3 ♭5	1
D♭sus2	F, A becomes E♭, A♭	1 2 5	1
D♭sus4	F, A becomes G♭, A♭	1 4 5	1

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
D♭3	49	138.59 Hz
F3	53	174.61 Hz
A3	57	220.00 Hz

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

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {1, 5, 9}
Normal order: [1, 5, 9]
Prime form: (048)
Forte number: 3-12
Interval vector: <000300>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
D♭ to F	Major third	4	4
D♭ to A	Minor sixth	8	4
F to A	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 D♭, 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.

D♭ Augmented

Fingerings

D♭ Augmented: notes and degrees