augmented triad

Augmented Triad:

All of us have heard a torch singer about o start a steamy ballad when her pianist leads her in with a single long rolled out chord that right away somehow conveys the proper mood of longing and mystery.

What is that somewhat strange but certainly not disagreeable or harsh chord?

Of it is an arpeggiated augment chord.


it contains 2 consecutive major thirds.

The augmentation refers to the 5th, which is sharped 1/2 step higher than the 5th of a normal major triad.

The augmented chord has a spicy unresolved sound that is generally sparingly.
Sometimes it appears as part of a series of chords in which one voice is moving while the other chord tones are staying still.


Fake chart indicate augmented chords by the abbrev. 'aug' after the chord letter
--or by a symbol +
--occasionally a #5 might be used, since this indicates which chord tone is altered in order to get an augmented sound.