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 1st fret of the G string (3rd).
- Middle finger on the 1st fret of the B string (2nd).
- Ring finger on the 2nd fret of the D string (4th).
- Little finger on the 3rd fret of the A string (5th).
- Let the high E string ring open.
- Do not play the low E string: start the strum from the A 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) | fret 3 | little | C3 | root |
| 4th (D) | fret 2 | ring | E3 | third |
| 3rd (G) | fret 1 | index | G♯3 | sharp fifth |
| 2nd (B) | fret 1 | middle | C4 | root |
| 1st (high E) | open | — | E4 | third |
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 Caug
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.
- x3655xA shape at the 3rd fret · four fingers
- x-x-10-9-9-8A shape at the 8th fret · four fingers
- 87655xA barre at the 5th fret and three more fingers
If the usual shape is too hard for now
x3211x is Caug without the full barre — fewer strings, the same chord. It is a real voicing, not a cheat, and plenty of players keep using it.
Holding it cleanly
One string rings open next to fretted ones. Arch the fingers so they come down on their tips — a finger lying flat will deaden the open string beside it, and the chord loses a note without sounding obviously wrong.
The lowest string is left out, because its open note is not in the chord. Aim the strum to start below it, or let the tip of a fretting finger rest against the unwanted string to keep it quiet.
The notes in Caug
A augmented chord is built from the root (1), 3 and ♯5 of its root’s major scale. From C that gives C – E – G♯. 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: C major, Cm, C7, Cmaj7, Cm7, Csus2, Csus4, Cdim.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Caug chord?
C augmented is three notes: C – E – G♯ — the root, 3 and ♯5 of the C major scale. On guitar the shape x32110 sounds C3, E3, G♯3, C4 and E4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Caug on guitar?
The usual shape is x32110 — an open-position shape, with four fingers. If that is out of reach for now, x3211x is the same chord without the full barre.
What is the difference between Caug and C?
One note. Caug is C with its fifth raised a semitone, to G♯. 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.