E♭ augmented chord on guitar (E♭aug)

E♭aug is E♭, G and B. The usual shape is x-6-5-4-4-x. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.

x-6-5-4-4-x · movable · medium

Notes: E♭ · G · B
Formula: 1 · 3 · ♯5
First shape: x-6-5-4-4-x

How to play E♭aug on guitar

Shape 1, x-6-5-4-4-x, reading from the low E string on the left, starts at the 4th fret:

Put your index finger on the G string at the 4th fret, which is B.
Put your middle finger on the B string at the 4th fret, which is E♭.
Put your ring finger on the D string at the 5th fret, which is G.
Put your pinky finger on the A string at the 6th fret, which is E♭.
Mute the low E and high E strings with the side of a finger so they don't ring.

The pinky takes a note here. Keep it curved and close to the fretboard between chords so it has less distance to travel.
Aim the strum at the thinner strings only; the lower ones are marked × for a reason.

Other ways to play E♭aug

x-x-1-0-0-3: open shape, easy. A small shape for quick changes and a lighter sound.
x-x-13-12-12-11: movable shape at the 11th fret, medium. Only the thinner strings sound, which cuts through a band without getting muddy.
11-10-9-8-8-x: partial barre shape at the 8th fret, medium. Higher up the neck it sounds brighter; handy when another guitar is already playing a lower shape.

E♭aug the capo way

No barre needed if a capo is allowed: capo on the 3rd fret and play the open Caug shape (x-3-2-1-1-0). The chord sounds as E♭aug because the capo raises every string by 3 half steps.

E♭aug chord changes

The chords E♭aug usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

A♭ (the raised fifth pushes up into the IV): 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♭. A♭ on guitar
B♭ (V in E♭ major): 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. B♭ on guitar
Cm (vi in E♭ major): 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. Cm on guitar

E♭aug is an augmented triad: two major thirds stacked, with a raised fifth. E♭aug is a stepping stone: it often moves on to the IV chord, with the raised fifth rising one more half step. The slow arpeggio button above makes that quality easy to hear.

Getting E♭aug under your fingers

Arpeggiate x-6-5-4-4-x from the lowest string: E♭, G, B, E♭. Then strum it and listen for the same 4 notes together. Next, alternate x-6-5-4-4-x and x-x-1-0-0-3, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

You may also see it as D♯aug; nothing changes on the guitar.

Where E♭aug shows up

E♭aug on piano and ukulele

The same notes on another instrument: E♭aug on piano and E♭aug on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.

Close to E♭aug

Other augmented chords

E♭aug on guitar: questions

What notes are in E♭aug on guitar?

E♭, G and B. In the x-6-5-4-4-x shape the strings play E♭ (A string), G (D string), B (G string) and E♭ (B string), so E♭ is doubled.

What's the easiest way to play E♭aug on guitar?

x-x-1-0-0-3. No barre: some strings ring open.

Is E♭aug a barre chord on guitar?

Not in its common form: x-6-5-4-4-x needs no barre.

Which string does E♭aug start on?

In the x-6-5-4-4-x shape the lowest string you play is the A string at the 6th fret, which is E♭, the root. Skip the low E and high E strings.

Every shape above plays only E♭, G and B, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.