Eaug Piano Chord

E augmented is the Eaug piano chord. It has three notes: E, G sharp and C. It is an E major chord with the fifth raised by one key, which lands on the white key C.

1E3G♯5CC4C5

E at the bottom, then G♯ and C. Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1. The black key is G♯.

How to play Eaug on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the E above middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): E
  3. Middle finger (3): G♯
  4. Little finger (5): C
  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 E on its own as a bass note.

The top note is written C rather than B sharp, because C is the key you play and the name every chart uses.

Inversions of Eaug

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

First inversionG♯ C E
Eaug piano chord diagram, first inversion, G♯ C E
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 inversionC E G♯
Eaug piano chord diagram, second inversion, C E G♯
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 B
That is plain E major. E augmented needs the key above it, which is C.
The middle finger keeps slipping
G sharp is a black key between two white ones. Move the hand slightly further in so the finger reaches it cleanly.
The chord sounds tense
It is supposed to. Follow it with A major and the raised fifth resolves upward.

What makes it an Eaug

E · G♯ · C 1 3 ♯5

E augmented is E, G sharp and C: the root, the third and the sharp fifth. Written strictly the top note is B sharp, which is the key called C.

It leads from E to A, with the B climbing through C to C sharp. Like every augmented chord it is two major thirds stacked and belongs to no key on its own.

Eaug vs E

The top note. E major has B; E augmented raises it to C.

Both are one black key chords, so the hand shape barely changes: only the little finger moves, from one white key to the next.

Questions about Eaug

Which notes are in Eaug on piano?

E, G sharp and C. It is E major with the fifth raised by one key.

What is the difference between Eaug and E major?

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

Why do Eaug, Caug and Abaug 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 Eaug, Caug and Abaug are one shape with three names.

Where is Eaug used?

Almost always as a passing chord. It appears between E major and A 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 E chords