B♭ augmented chord on piano (B♭aug)
B♭aug is B♭, D and F♯. B♭ is the last black key of the group of three. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.
root position · B♭–D–F♯ · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- B♭ · D · F♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · ♯5
How to play B♭aug on piano
From B♭, go 4 half steps up to D then 4 half steps up to F♯. Those 3 keys are B♭aug.
- Right hand: 1 on B♭, 3 on D and 5 on F♯.
- Left hand: 5 on B♭, 3 on D and 1 on F♯.
- On the keyboard it's black, white and black keys.
B♭aug inversions
- root position: B♭–D–F♯. Fingers 1-3-5.
- 1st inversion: D–F♯–B♭, with D at the bottom. Right hand 1-2-5.
- 2nd inversion: F♯–B♭–D, with F♯ at the bottom. RH 1-3-5.
Use the inversions to stay put: the next chord is often one inversion away from where your hand already is, as the changes below show.
Moving between B♭aug and its neighbours
Songs rarely hold B♭aug for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.
- E♭ (the raised fifth pushes up into the IV): B♭aug to E♭: play E♭ in 2nd inversion (B♭–E♭–G) and B♭ stays under the same finger, while D moves up to E♭ and F♯ up to G. E♭ on piano
- F (V in B♭ major): B♭aug to F: play F in 1st inversion (A–C–F), while B♭ moves down to A, D down to C and F♯ down to F. F on piano
- Gm (vi in B♭ major): B♭aug to Gm: play Gm in 1st inversion (B♭–D–G) and B♭ and D stay under the same fingers, while F♯ moves up to G. Gm on piano
B♭aug is an augmented triad: two major thirds stacked, with a raised fifth. B♭aug is a stepping stone: it often moves on to the IV chord, with the raised fifth rising one more half step. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
Practice B♭aug in two minutes
Start with a broken chord, B♭ D F♯ D B♭, then play it solid. Next, walk up through B♭–D–F♯ → D–F♯–B♭ → F♯–B♭–D without lifting your eyes to your hand.
The keys of B♭aug
B♭aug is a augmented chord, 1–3–♯5 from B♭. Root position, from the bottom: how B♭aug is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| B♭ | black key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| D | white key | RH 3 · LH 3 | major third |
| F♯ | black key | RH 5 · LH 1 | augmented fifth |
A♯aug is another spelling of B♭aug. Same keys, same sound.
B♭aug in context
B♭aug on guitar and ukulele
B♭aug on guitar and ukulele uses the same 3 notes in a different layout. See all three together.
Next to try on piano
Other augmented chords
B♭aug on piano: questions
What notes are in B♭aug on piano?
B♭, D and F♯: B♭ (black key), D (white key) and F♯ (black key). Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1.
How do you play B♭aug on piano?
Press B♭, D and F♯ together (2 black, 1 white). Right hand: 1 on B♭, 3 on D and 5 on F♯.
What are the inversions of B♭aug?
1st inversion (D–F♯–B♭) and 2nd inversion (F♯–B♭–D), after root position (B♭–D–F♯). Each keeps all the notes of the chord.
What does B♭aug look like on the keyboard?
black, white and black keys.
Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside B♭aug. Updated September 2026.