Read left to right, 6th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string, x is a string you do not play.
- Index finger on the 4th fret of the high E string (1st).
- Middle finger on the 5th fret of the G string (3rd).
- Ring finger on the 5th fret of the B string (2nd).
- Little finger on the 6th fret of the D string (4th).
- Do not play the low E and A strings: start the strum from the D string.
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th (low E) | not played | — | — | — |
| 5th (A) | not played | — | — | — |
| 4th (D) | fret 6 | little | A♭3 | root |
| 3rd (G) | fret 5 | middle | C4 | third |
| 2nd (B) | fret 5 | ring | E4 | sharp fifth |
| 1st (high E) | fret 4 | index | A♭4 | root |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
3 other ways to play A♭aug
The same 3 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- 43211xA barre at the 1st fret and three more fingers
- xx6998A shape at the 6th fret · four fingers
- x-11-10-9-9-12A barre at the 9th fret and three more fingers
Holding it cleanly
The 2 lowest strings are left out, because their open notes are not in the chord. Aim the strum to start below them, or let the tip of a fretting finger rest against the unwanted string to keep it quiet.
The notes in A♭aug
A augmented chord is built from the root (1), 3 and ♯5 of its root’s major scale. From A♭ that gives A♭ – C – E. A major chord with its fifth raised a semitone. Its three notes are evenly spaced, so any of them can be the root.
The same root, other chords: A♭ major, A♭m, A♭7, A♭maj7, A♭m7, A♭sus2, A♭sus4, A♭dim.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a A♭aug chord?
A♭ augmented is three notes: A♭ – C – E — the root, 3 and ♯5 of the A♭ major scale. On guitar the shape xx6554 sounds A♭3, C4, E4 and A♭4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play A♭aug on guitar?
The usual shape is xx6554 — a shape at the 4th fret, with four fingers. It is already about as easy as this chord gets.
Is A♭aug the same chord as G♯aug?
Yes — on guitar they are the same frets and the same sound. A♭ and G♯ are two names for one pitch, and which name a songbook prints depends on the key: a piece in a sharp key writes G♯aug, a piece in a flat key writes A♭aug.
What is the difference between A♭aug and A♭?
One note. A♭aug is A♭ with its fifth raised a semitone, to E. The three notes are then exactly four semitones apart, so the chord has no clear root and sounds as if it is about to move — usually up, to the chord a fourth above.