Eaug Chord
5th Fret · A-String RootThe main Eaug shape, with the root on the A string at fret 7. Lay the index flat across the G and B strings at fret 5 — that gives C (the ♯5) and E an octave up — then middle on the D string at fret 6 for G#, and ring on the root. Mute the low E and the high e.
Eaug Chord
1st Fret · D-String RootThe same chord one string set higher, rooted on the D string at fret 2. Leave the high e open for E an octave up, flatten the middle finger across the G and B strings at fret 1 for G# and C, and put the ring finger on the root. Mute the low E and A strings.
Eaug Chord
1st Fret · Top Three StringsThe easiest Eaug on the page, and the one that never leaves the first four frets. G# (the major 3rd) on the G string at fret 1, C (the ♯5) on the B string beside it, and E (the root) on the open high e. Three notes, nothing doubled — reach for it when the chord has to sit over a bass note or move through a solo.
Two stacked major 3rds
E to G# is four semitones, and G# to C is four more. Those equal steps are why the chord has no obvious home note and never sounds settled.
Raise the 5th, not the 3rd
Start from E major — E, G#, B — and push the B up one fret to C. That one semitone is the entire difference between major and augmented.
One grip, three names
E, G# and C spell Eaug, G#aug and Caug. Slide any shape on this page four frets in either direction and you have the same chord again under a different name.
Use it as a passing chord
Play E, then Eaug, then A or C#m. The B climbs to C and on to C# — one voice moving by semitones while the rest of the chord holds still.
Mute the strings you skip
Every shape here leaves at least two strings out. Let the underside of your fretting fingers rest against them, and keep the strum tight to the strings you actually want.
About the Eaug Chord on Guitar
The Eaug chord is built from three notes: E (the root), G# (the major 3rd) and C (the augmented 5th) — formula 1 – 3 – ♯5. It is a E major triad with the 5th raised by a semitone, which stacks two major 3rds and splits the octave into three equal steps. With no perfect 5th to rest on and no note more central than the others, the chord sounds suspended and restless, which is why it works as a link between two settled chords rather than as a place to stop. The classic move is E → Eaug → A or C#m, where B climbs a semitone to C and then on to C# while everything around it holds still. The augmented triad is not in the major scale at all: it turns up on the third degree of C# harmonic minor, and as an altered dominant it resolves to A. Because the three notes divide the octave evenly, E–G#–C also spells G#aug and Caug — the same chord under three names. This page covers three voicings: the A-string root form at fret 7, the D-string root form at fret 2, and an easy top-three-string triad at fret 1. Every diagram is interactive and playable with acoustic guitar sound.
- 013 Eaug chord shapes from beginner to intermediate
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 04A-string root, D-string root, and top-three-string triad voicings
- 05The augmented triad is symmetrical — every shape repeats four frets up and four frets down
- 06Free — no sign-up or download needed
ANATOMY
Chord Tones
The 3 notes that form the E Augmented chord and their role in the major scale.
Every augmented chord follows this same formula — root, major third, augmented fifth. Two major 3rds stacked, which splits the octave into three equal steps and leaves the chord unresolved.