Ebaug Piano Chord

E flat augmented is the Ebaug piano chord. It has three notes: E flat, G and B. It is an E flat major chord with the fifth raised by one key.

1E♭3G5BC4C5

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

How to play Ebaug 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): B
  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.

Only the root is a black key here. The other two notes are white, so the hand sits at a middle depth throughout.

Inversions of Ebaug

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

First inversionG B E♭
Ebaug piano chord diagram, first inversion, G B 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 inversionB E♭ G
Ebaug piano chord diagram, second inversion, B 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 flat
That is plain E flat major. E flat augmented needs B natural, the white key above it.
The thumb slides off
The root is a black key while the rest of the hand is on white ones. Move the arm forward so the thumb sits properly.
The chord sounds unstable
That is what it is for. Follow it with A flat major and the tension clears.

What makes it an Ebaug

E♭ · G · B 1 3 ♯5

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

It leads from E flat to A flat, with the B flat climbing through B to C. Because its intervals are equal it has no home key of its own.

Ebaug vs Eb

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

So the augmented chord is actually the easier of the two here: only one black key instead of two.

Questions about Ebaug

Which notes are in Ebaug on piano?

E flat, G and B. It is E flat major with the fifth raised by one key.

What is the difference between Ebaug and E flat major?

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

Why do Ebaug, Gaug and Baug 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 Ebaug, Gaug and Baug are one shape with three names.

Where is Ebaug used?

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