Augmented chords

[imported_adrianclark]

Augmented Chord Watch

Anymore?

Haven't got the CD to hand, but doesn't the Beatles' "Girl" start with one?


Adrian

[markmcg]

Anymore?

IIRC, middle break of Maiden's 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' uses an Augmented triad bassline.

Niiice.

[jimi'sdiciple]

The augmented chord has a raised 5th degree. In a C maj chord this would be the G note raised to G#.

Try this;

-----Cmaj--------Caug----------Amin-------C7
E................................................. ..........................
B.........1............1...................1...... .........1....................
G........0............2....................2...... .........3...................
D........2............2....................2...... ........2.....................
A........3............3.....................0..... ........3....................
E................................................. ..........................

In this case the augmented chord has created a chromatic movement on the G string.

Paulo

you said th 5th went up gsharp not a
be forever banished to bad theory land

[jimi'sdiciple]

The augmented chord has a raised 5th degree. In a C maj chord this would be the G note raised to G#.

Try this;

-----Cmaj--------Caug----------Amin-------C7
E................................................. ..........................
B.........1............1...................1...... .........1....................
G........0............2....................2...... .........3...................
D........2............2....................2...... ........2.....................
A........3............3.....................0..... ........3....................
E................................................. ..........................

In this case the augmented chord has created a chromatic movement on the G string.

Paulo

you said th 5th went up gsharp not a
be forever banished to bad theory land

dont get this confused with no theory land........
ur not meeting hendrix .

[Jason Morris]

The augmented chord has a raised 5th degree. In a C maj chord this would be the G note raised to G#.

Try this;

-----Cmaj--------Caug----------Amin-------C7
E................................................. ..........................
B.........1............1...................1...............1.............. ......
G........0............2....................2...............3............. ......
D........2............2....................2..............2.............. .......
A........3............3.....................0.............3.............. ......
E................................................. ..........................

In this case the augmented chord has created a chromatic movement on the G string.

Paulo

Did you mean for C aug to be spelt:-

E---
B-1-
G-1-
D-2-
A-3-
E---

:?:

...says the man who said D Dorian had an F# in it....

[virginiapicker]

Isn't there a major triad to augmented triad riff in "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" (who is that, BTO?).

[Paulo2]

Did you mean for C aug to be spelt:-

E---
B-1-
G-1-
D-2-
A-3-
E---

:?:

....[/size]

Oh bollocks yes. ops:
Paulo

[JonathanS]

Since I'm going a bit mad for cromaticism, I'm learning to appreciate their function. I'm just "lidderally" back from church and the music leaders were learning a new choon that had the progression:

G / / / | G+ / / / | Em7 / / / |Csus2 / / /|

...which I played using these voicings

G (x5543x)
G+ (x6544x)
Em7 (x7978x)
Csus2 (x3553x)

As you may be able to see, the augmented 5th lead nicely into the Em7.

Niiiice.

J

[Paulo2]

Since I'm going a bit mad for cromaticism, I'm learning to appreciate their function. I'm just "lidderally" back from church and the music leaders were learning a new choon that had the progression:

G / / / | G+ / / / | Em7 / / / |Csus2 / / /|

...which I played using these voicings

G (x5543x)
G+ (x6544x)
Em7 (x7978x)
Csus2 (x3553x)

As you may be able to see, the augmented 5th lead nicely into the Em7.

Niiiice.

J

That'd be the same function as the Buddy Holly tune mentioned above in except in the key of G.
Paulo

[youngun]

I love these chords.

Because of the way they are constructed they are great for adding tension to your guitar playing [specifically as a substitute for a run of the mill dominant 7th chord in a turnaround].

What you have to remember is that they are much more usable when you are the only guitarist in the band or you have a small set-up.

I used to play in a blues band where we had just drums, bass, a singer and me on lead guitar. When the bass was playing a B note for the turnaround in a 12 bar progression in E, I could play a whole range of chords over that B note and it wouldn't matter as I was the only other melodic instrument.

I often went between 7#5, plain old 7th or our good old augmented chord.

Once that band took on a second guitarist I had to tone that stuff down, once we took on a piano player it was all finished as practically every single chord change had to be argued, debated and agreed on.

In short: substitute them in for 7ths in blues turnarounds if you can - but beware of them in bigger bands.