E♭ augmented chord (E♭aug)
E♭aug is E♭, G and B: 1–3–♯5 built on E♭. Below: guitar, piano and ukulele, each playable.
On guitar
x-6-5-4-4-x · movable · medium
- Notes
- E♭ · G · B
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♯5
- First shape
- x-6-5-4-4-x
E♭aug on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · E♭–G–B · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- E♭ · G · B
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♯5
E♭aug on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
0-3-3-2 · open · easy
- Notes
- E♭ · G · B
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♯5
- First shape
- 0-3-3-2
Changing out of E♭aug
The moves below are the ones you'll meet most, shown for guitar and piano.
- E♭aug → A♭ (the raised fifth pushes up into the IV)
Guitar: E♭aug (x-6-5-4-4-x) to A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 4th fret, the middle finger goes to the G string, 5th fret, move the ring finger to the A string, 6th fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Shared note: E♭.
Piano: E♭aug to A♭: play A♭ in 2nd inversion (E♭–A♭–C) and E♭ stays under the same finger, while G moves up to A♭ and B up to C. A♭ - E♭aug → B♭ (V in E♭ major)
Guitar: E♭aug (x-6-5-4-4-x) to B♭ (x-1-3-3-3-1): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 1st fret, move the middle finger to the D string, 3rd fret, the ring finger goes to the G string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once.
Piano: E♭aug to B♭: play B♭ in 1st inversion (D–F–B♭), while E♭ moves down to D, G down to F and B down to B♭. B♭ - E♭aug → Cm (vi in E♭ major)
Guitar: E♭aug (x-6-5-4-4-x) to Cm (x-3-1-0-1-3): your index finger lands on the D string, 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the B string, 1st fret, move the ring finger to the A string, 3rd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Shared notes: E♭ and G.
Piano: E♭aug to Cm: play Cm in 1st inversion (E♭–G–C) and E♭ and G stay under the same fingers, while B moves up to C. Cm
Guitar with a capo: capo 3, Caug shape. Ukulele with a capo: capo 3, Caug shape.
How E♭aug is built
E♭aug is an augmented triad: two major thirds stacked, with a raised fifth. It sounds suspended and dreamlike. Because the major thirds split the octave evenly, E♭aug shares its three notes with Gaug and Baug.
From E♭, go 4 half steps up to G then 4 half steps up to B. Written with flats or sharps the other way round it's D♯aug; the sound is identical.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| E♭ | root | 0 | |
| G | major third | 4 | |
| B | augmented fifth | 8 |
Keys and progressions with E♭aug
E♭aug sits outside the seven chords of every major and natural minor key, so expect it as a color or passing chord.
Chords close to E♭aug
- E♭aug and E♭ differ by one note: B in E♭aug, B♭ in E♭. They share E♭ and G. E♭
Chords that share most of their notes with E♭aug: Gaug, Baug, Cm, E♭, Em, G.
Every E♭ chord
E♭ augmented chord: questions
What notes are in the E♭ augmented chord?
E♭, G and B. E♭aug is built 1–3–♯5 from E♭: G is the major third and B is the augmented fifth.
How do you play E♭aug on guitar?
The usual shape is x-6-5-4-4-x (movable). An easier version is x-x-1-0-0-3. All 4 guitar shapes.
How do you play E♭aug on piano?
Play E♭, G and B with right-hand fingers 1-3-5. E♭ sits on the black key between D and E. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play E♭aug on ukulele?
0-3-3-2 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is E♭aug in?
E♭aug sits outside the seven chords of every major and natural minor key, so expect it as a color or passing chord.
What's the difference between E♭aug and E♭?
E♭aug and E♭ differ by one note: B in E♭aug, B♭ in E♭. They share E♭ and G.
All three instruments are drawn and played from E♭, G and B by the same engine. Updated September 2026.