Bbaug Piano Chord

B flat augmented is the Bbaug piano chord. It has three notes: B flat, D and F sharp. It is a B flat major chord with the fifth raised by one key.

1B♭3D5F♯C3C4

B♭ at the bottom, then D and F♯. Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1. The black keys are B♭ and F♯.

How to play Bbaug on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the B♭ below middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): B♭
  3. Middle finger (3): D
  4. Little finger (5): F♯
  5. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 1 an octave lower, or just B♭ on its own as a bass note.

The root and the top note are black keys with a white key between them. The hand ends up at two depths, which takes a moment to settle into.

Inversions of Bbaug

The same 3 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Bbaug; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionD F♯ B♭
Bbaug piano chord diagram, first inversion, D F♯ B♭
Lighter than root position and less final. A third in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it usually sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionF♯ B♭ D
Bbaug piano chord diagram, second inversion, F♯ B♭ D
Open and slightly unresolved. A fifth in the bass makes the chord sound like a step on the way somewhere, which is mostly how it is used.

If it sounds wrong

The top note is F
That is plain B flat major. B flat augmented needs F sharp, the black key above it.
The thumb keeps sliding
It is on a black key. Move the whole hand into the keyboard rather than reaching back with the thumb.
The chord sounds unstable
That is its job. Follow it with E flat major and the raised fifth resolves.

What makes it a Bbaug

B♭ · D · F♯ 1 3 ♯5

B flat augmented is B flat, D and F sharp: the root, the third and the sharp fifth, two major thirds stacked.

It leads from B flat to E flat, with the F climbing through F sharp to G. Being built from equal intervals it belongs to no key on its own.

Bbaug vs Bb

The top note. B flat major has F, a white key; B flat augmented raises it to F sharp, a black one.

So the augmented version puts a second black key under the hand and sits deeper in the keyboard.

Questions about Bbaug

Which notes are in Bbaug on piano?

B flat, D and F sharp. It is B flat major with the fifth raised by one key.

What is the difference between Bbaug and B flat major?

The top note. B flat major has a normal fifth; Bbaug raises it by one key, which makes the chord sound stretched and unsettled instead of finished.

Why do Bbaug, Daug and F#aug contain the same keys?

An augmented chord is two major thirds stacked, and four half steps repeated three times comes back to where it started. That means the same three keys can be named from any of its notes, so Bbaug, Daug and F#aug are one shape with three names.

Where is Bbaug used?

Almost always as a passing chord. It appears between B flat major and E flat major, or under a melody note that is climbing, and it resolves as soon as the raised fifth moves on.

Chords to learn next

Other Bb chords