Find out the notes that are in the C augmented chord and how to play it on the piano in root position and in both inversions.
What Does the C augmented Chord Look Like on the Piano?
The symbol for the C augmented chord is Caug and the notes of the Caug chord are C – E – G#.
The Caug chord is a triad because it has three notes: root (C), major third (E), and augmented fifth (G#).
How to Play the C augmented Chord on the Piano?
The picture below shows how to play the notes of the C augmented chord on the piano in root position:
You can see that the first note is C (the root), the second note is E (the major third), and the third note is G# (the augmented fifth).
What is the Lowest Note in the C augmented Chord?
Making the assumption that you are playing the Caug chord in root position the lowest note is C.
How Can You Remember the Caug Chord?
Here is how to remember the notes of the C augmented chord:
- Start from the first note of the chord (the root) that for the C augmented chord is C.
- To find the second note calculate a major third from the root (E).
- Then to find the third note of the chord calculate the augmented fifth from the root (G#).
This applies if you are playing the C augmented chord in root position.
What is the 1st Inversion of the C augmented Chord?
The 1st inversion of the Caug chord starts with the note E.
The picture below shows how to play the notes of the C augmented chord on the piano in the first inversion:
In the 1st inversion, you shift the root of the Caug chord (C) up one octave compared to the root position.
The notes of the Caug chord in the 1st inversion are E – G# – C.
How Do You Make the 2nd Inversion for the C augmented Chord?
The 2nd inversion of the Caug chord starts with the note G#.
Below you can see how to play the notes of the second inversion of the C augmented chord on the piano:
In the 2nd inversion, you also shift the third of the Caug chord (E) up one octave.
The notes of the 2nd inversion of the Caug chord are G# – C – E.
Also, considering that the Caug chord is a triad (it consists of three notes) there is no 3rd inversion because it would be the same as the root position.
What Are Other C Chords?
The following articles show you how to play other C chords: