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 D string (4th).
- Let the G and B strings ring open.
- Do not play the low E and A strings: start the strum from the D string.
- Stop the strum before the high E string, or let the underside of a fretting finger rest on it to keep it quiet.
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 1 | index | E♭3 | root |
| 3rd (G) | open | — | G3 | third |
| 2nd (B) | open | — | B3 | sharp fifth |
| 1st (high E) | not played | — | — | — |
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 E♭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.
- x65447A barre at the 4th fret and three more fingers
- x6988xA shape at the 6th fret · four fingers
- 11-10-9-8-8-xA barre at the 8th fret and three more fingers
Holding it cleanly
2 strings ring 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 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 E♭aug
A augmented chord is built from the root (1), 3 and ♯5 of its root’s major scale. From E♭ that gives E♭ – G – B. 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: E♭ major, E♭m, E♭7, E♭maj7, E♭m7, E♭sus2, E♭sus4, E♭dim.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a E♭aug chord?
E♭ augmented is three notes: E♭ – G – B — the root, 3 and ♯5 of the E♭ major scale. On guitar the shape xx100x sounds E♭3, G3 and B3, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play E♭aug on guitar?
The usual shape is xx100x — an open-position shape, with one finger. It is already about as easy as this chord gets.
Is E♭aug the same chord as D♯aug?
Yes — on guitar they are the same frets and the same sound. E♭ 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 D♯aug, a piece in a flat key writes E♭aug.
What is the difference between E♭aug and E♭?
One note. E♭aug is E♭ with its fifth raised a semitone, to B. 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.