Gaug Piano Chord

G augmented is the Gaug piano chord. It has three notes: G, B and D sharp. It is a G major chord with the fifth pushed up one key.

1G3B5D♯C3C4

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

How to play Gaug on piano, step by step

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

Play G, then G augmented, then C. The D climbing to D sharp and on to E is exactly why this chord exists.

Inversions of Gaug

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

First inversionB D♯ G
Gaug piano chord diagram, first inversion, B D♯ G
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 inversionD♯ G B
Gaug piano chord diagram, second inversion, D♯ G B
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 D
That is plain G major. G augmented needs D sharp, the black key above it.
The chord sounds harsh
An augmented chord is unstable by design. It makes sense as a step between two other chords rather than on its own.
The little finger is weak
It is on a black key at the top of the chord. Lean the hand outward rather than pressing harder with the weakest finger.

What makes it a Gaug

G · B · D♯ 1 3 ♯5

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

Its usual job is to lead from G to C, with the raised fifth climbing through D sharp to E. Because the intervals are equal it belongs to no single key.

Gaug vs G

The top note. G major has D; G augmented raises it to D sharp.

G major is one of the most restful chords on the piano and G augmented one of the least, and the difference is a single black key.

Questions about Gaug

Which notes are in Gaug on piano?

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

What is the difference between Gaug and G major?

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

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

Where is Gaug used?

Almost always as a passing chord. It appears between G major and C 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 G chords