About the Caug chord
The augmented triad raises the fifth by a semitone. It sounds unsettled and is often used to lead from one chord to the next, or for a dreamlike effect. The symbol for it is Caug.
C1
E3
G♯♯5
How to play Caug
- Put your index finger on the G string at fret 1.
- Put your middle finger on the B string at fret 1.
- Put your ring finger on the D string at fret 2.
- Put your little finger on the A string at fret 3.
- Strum and let the high E string ring open, and don't play the low E string.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Other C chords
Caug chord questions
What notes are in a Caug chord?
Caug is made of C, E and G♯. In intervals that is 1, 3, ♯5 above the root, C.
What is the easiest way to play Caug?
The first shape above is the most common one: x 3 2 1 1 0 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. Start there, and try the other shapes once it feels comfortable.
Is Caug a barre chord?
The main shape above is an open chord with no barre. Some of the other shapes further up the neck do use a barre, which lets you move the same shape to any key.