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Tomus

Chord reference

Augmented triad

1 – 3 – ♯5 · example: Caug = C – E – G♯

Two stacked major thirds. It divides the octave evenly, so it has no clear resolution of its own.

Written as a formula it is 1 – 3 – ♯5: the degrees of the major scale it keeps, with any that are altered marked. On C that gives Caug = C, E, G♯.

How it is built

  1. G♯
    third
  2. E
    major
  3. Croot
Caug stacked from the root upwards, with the interval between each pair of notes.
𝄞CEG♯
Caug written out as an arpeggio, lowest note first.
CCDEEFGABCDEG♯
Caug on the keyboard, root highlighted.

The intervals above the root

Chord toneInterval above the rootSemitonesNote in Caug
1Perfect unison0C
3Major third4E
♯5Augmented fifth8G♯

Inversions

The same notes can be stacked in any vertical order. The chord keeps its name; what changes is which note is in the bass. See chord inversions for why that matters.

PositionNotesWritten as
Root positionC – E – G♯Caug
First inversionE – G♯ – CCaug/E
Second inversionG♯ – C – ECaug/G♯

This chord on every root

RootSymbolNotes
CCaugC – E – G♯
D♭D♭augD♭ – F – A
DDaugD – F♯ – A♯
E♭E♭augE♭ – G – B
EEaugE – G♯ – B♯
FFaugF – A – C♯
F♯F♯augF♯ – A♯ – C𝄪
GGaugG – B – D♯
A♭A♭augA♭ – C – E
AAaugA – C♯ – E♯
B♭B♭augB♭ – D – F♯
BBaugB – D♯ – F𝄪
Twelve roots, one shape. The interval pattern above the root never changes.

Nearby chords

All chord types