D♭ augmented chord (D♭aug)
D♭aug is D♭, F and A: 1–3–♯5 built on D♭. See and hear it on all three instruments below.
On guitar
x-4-3-2-2-x · movable · medium
- Notes
- D♭ · F · A
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♯5
- First shape
- x-4-3-2-2-x
D♭aug on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · D♭–F–A · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- D♭ · F · A
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♯5
D♭aug on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
2-1-1-0 · open · easy
- Notes
- D♭ · F · A
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♯5
- First shape
- 2-1-1-0
D♭aug and the chords around it
The moves below are the ones you'll meet most, shown for guitar and piano.
- D♭aug → F♯ (the raised fifth pushes up into the IV)
Guitar: D♭aug (x-4-3-2-2-x) to F♯ (2-4-4-3-2-2): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 3rd fret, move the ring finger to the A string, 4th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. D♭ carries over from one chord to the other.
Piano: D♭aug to F♯: play F♯ in 2nd inversion (C♯–F♯–A♯) and C♯ stays under the same finger, while F moves up to F♯ and A up to A♯. F♯ - D♭aug → A♭ (V in D♭ major)
Guitar: D♭aug (x-4-3-2-2-x) to A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 4th fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 5th fret, move the ring finger to the A string, 6th fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go.
Piano: D♭aug to A♭: play A♭ in 1st inversion (C–E♭–A♭), while D♭ moves down to C, F down to E♭ and A down to A♭. A♭ - D♭aug → B♭m (vi in D♭ major)
Guitar: D♭aug (x-4-3-2-2-x) to B♭m (x-1-3-3-2-1): your middle and ring fingers stay put, the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 1st fret, move the pinky finger to the G string, 3rd fret. The two chords share D♭ and F, which is why the change sounds smooth.
Piano: D♭aug to B♭m: play B♭m in 1st inversion (D♭–F–B♭) and D♭ and F stay under the same fingers, while A moves up to B♭. B♭m
Guitar with a capo: capo 1, Caug shape. Ukulele with a capo: capo 1, Caug shape.
How D♭aug is built
D♭aug is an augmented triad: two major thirds stacked, with a raised fifth. It sounds suspended and dreamlike. Because the major thirds split the octave evenly, D♭aug shares its three notes with Faug and Aaug.
Start on D♭, count 4 half steps up to F then 4 half steps up to A. Written with flats or sharps the other way round it's C♯aug; the sound is identical.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| D♭ | root | 0 | |
| F | major third | 4 | |
| A | augmented fifth | 8 |
Keys and progressions with D♭aug
D♭aug sits outside the seven chords of every major and natural minor key, so expect it as a color or passing chord.
Chords close to D♭aug
- D♭aug and C♯ differ by one note: A in D♭aug, G♯ in C♯. They share D♭ and F. C♯
Chords that share most of their notes with D♭aug: Faug, Aaug, C♯, Dm, F, F♯m.
Every D♭ chord
D♭ augmented chord: questions
What notes are in the D♭ augmented chord?
D♭, F and A. D♭aug is built 1–3–♯5 from D♭: F is the major third and A is the augmented fifth.
How do you play D♭aug on guitar?
The usual shape is x-4-3-2-2-x (movable). All 3 guitar shapes.
How do you play D♭aug on piano?
Play D♭, F and A with right-hand fingers 1-3-5. D♭ sits on the black key between C and D. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play D♭aug on ukulele?
2-1-1-0 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is D♭aug in?
D♭aug sits outside the seven chords of every major and natural minor key, so expect it as a color or passing chord.
What's the difference between D♭aug and C♯?
D♭aug and C♯ differ by one note: A in D♭aug, G♯ in C♯. They share D♭ and F.
All three instruments are drawn and played from D♭, F and A by the same engine. Updated September 2026.