Read left to right, 4th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger on the 1st fret of the C string (3rd).
- Middle finger on the 1st fret of the E string (2nd).
- Ring finger on the 2nd fret of the G string (4th).
- Let the A string ring open.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th (G) | fret 2 | ring | A4 | root |
| 3rd (C) | fret 1 | index | C♯4 | third |
| 2nd (E) | fret 1 | middle | E♯4 | sharp fifth |
| 1st (A) | open | — | A4 | 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 Aaug
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.
- 6554A shape at the 4th fret · four fingers
- 10-9-9-8A shape at the 8th fret · four fingers
- 6998A shape at the 6th fret · four fingers
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 notes in Aaug
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♯ (F). 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, Am, A7, Amaj7, Am7, Asus2, Asus4, Adim.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Aaug chord?
A augmented is three notes: A – C♯ – E♯ (F) — the root, 3 and ♯5 of the A major scale. On ukulele the shape 2110 sounds A4, C♯4, E♯4 and A4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Aaug on ukulele?
The usual shape is 2110 — an open-position shape, with three fingers. It is already about as easy as this chord gets.
What is the difference between Aaug and A?
One note. Aaug 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.