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 flat across the top 3 strings, from the G string up at the 2nd fret — the barre.
- Middle finger on the 3rd fret of the D string (4th).
- Ring finger on the 4th fret of the A string (5th).
- Little finger on the 5th fret of the high E string (1st).
- 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 4 | ring | C♯3 | root |
| 4th (D) | fret 3 | middle | E♯3 | third |
| 3rd (G) | fret 2 | index | G𝄪3 | sharp fifth |
| 2nd (B) | fret 2 | index | C♯4 | root |
| 1st (high E) | fret 5 | little | G𝄪4 | sharp fifth |
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 C♯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.
- x4766xA shape at the 4th fret · four fingers
- x-x-11-10-10-9A shape at the 9th fret · four fingers
- 98766xA barre at the 6th fret and three more fingers
If the usual shape is too hard for now
x4322x is C♯aug without the full barre — fewer strings, the same chord. It is a real voicing, not a cheat, and plenty of players keep using it.
Or use a capo: clamp it at the 2nd fret and play the Baug shape. Every string is raised 2 semitones, so that open shape now sounds C♯aug.
Holding it cleanly
The barre is the hard part. Lay the index finger just behind the 2nd fret, roll it slightly onto its bony outer edge, and keep the thumb behind the neck opposite it. Pluck the barred strings one at a time: a buzz or a dead string means the finger is not flat there yet.
It spans 4 frets. Bring the elbow in and let the hand turn slightly toward the body of the guitar; the stretch comes from the hand opening, not from the fingers reaching.
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 C♯aug
A augmented chord is built from the root (1), 3 and ♯5 of its root’s major scale. From C♯ that gives C♯ – E♯ (F) – G𝄪 (A). 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, C♯m, C♯7, C♯maj7, C♯m7, C♯sus2, C♯sus4, C♯dim.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a C♯aug chord?
C♯ augmented is three notes: C♯ – E♯ (F) – G𝄪 (A) — the root, 3 and ♯5 of the C♯ major scale. On guitar the shape x43225 sounds C♯3, E♯3, G𝄪3, C♯4 and G𝄪4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play C♯aug on guitar?
The usual shape is x43225 — a barre chord at the 2nd fret, with a barre at the 2nd fret and three more fingers. If that is out of reach for now, x4322x is the same chord without the full barre. Or put a capo on the 2nd fret and play the Baug shape, which then sounds C♯aug.
Is C♯aug the same chord as D♭aug?
Yes — on guitar they are the same frets and the same sound. C♯ and D♭ are two names for one pitch, and which name a songbook prints depends on the key: a piece in a sharp key writes C♯aug, a piece in a flat key writes D♭aug.
What is the difference between C♯aug and C♯?
One note. C♯aug 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.