D♯aug: D♯/E♭ 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:

B Augmented→G 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 F×3, spans 4 semitones or about 55 mm.

What are the frequencies of D♯aug?

From D♯3 at A440 in 12-TET: 155.56, 196.00, 246.94 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♯; D♭aug is D♭, F, A.

Is E♭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 F×3 A×3	8	110 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	F×3 A×3 D♯4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	A×3 D♯4 F×4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Open, fifth on top	D♯2 A×2 F×3	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 F×3	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, F×3, A×3	5/3	8	110 mm
First inversion: D♯aug/F×	F×	F×3, A×3, D♯4	6/3	8	110 mm
Second inversion: D♯aug/A×	A×	A×3, D♯4, F×4	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	51	155.56 Hz
F×3	55	196.00 Hz
A×3	59	246.94 Hz

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

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {3, 7, 11}
Normal order: [3, 7, 11]
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