Julie Swihart

Augmented Chords

Let’s look at how to play a Daug (D augmented) chord on the piano. We’ll also learn the pattern for building any other augmented chord.

What Are Augmented Chords?

Augmented chords are major chords with the upper note raised 1/2 step.

So to play an augmented chord, we can start by playing a major chord. Major chords are built using the first, third and fifth notes of the matching major scale.

To convert the major chord into an augmented chord, we’ll raise the upper note 1/2 step.

Chord Types Printable

Learn to play 17 types of piano chords using 12 different root notes with this 34-page PDF! Chords are sorted both by their root note (C, D, E, etc.) and type (major, minor, augmented, diminished, etc.).

Get the Printable

How to Play a Daug Chord

Let’s build a Daug chord on the piano. We’ll start by building a D major chord using the first, third and fifth notes of the D major scale: D – F♯ – A

Then we’ll take the upper note A, and raise it 1/2 step to A♯.

So to play a Daug chord, we’ll play:

D – F♯ – A♯

You can use this pattern to build any augmented chord on the piano. First build a major chord, then raise the upper-note 1/2 step.

Another way to label augmented chords is with the + symbol. So Daug could also be written as D+.

How to Label the Notes

You may be wondering why the A♯ is labeled as A♯ instead of B♭. The reason is because of the piano intervals used to build the chord (learn all about piano intervals here).

Augmented chords are built using a root, a major third, and a perfect fifth. Since D is the root note of the chord, a fifth alphabetically up from D will be some type of A.

Other Chord Types

There are many other types of chord we can play on the piano. Here are some others:

Major
Minor
Diminished
Second
Minor Second
Suspended
Fifth
Sixth
Minor Sixth
Seventh
Minor Seventh
Major Seventh
Ninth
Minor Ninth
Major Ninth

Conclusion

Now you know how to play a Daug chord on the piano, and you can use this pattern to build any augmented chord.

While augmented chords aren’t as common as major chords, it’s good to know how to build them so you’re ready when you need them.