semicord

Gbaug Gb augmented chord

Notes
Gb Bb D
Formula
1 3 #5
Semitones
0 4 8 above the root
Also written
F#aug (F# A# C##)
Other symbols
Gb+, Gb(#5)

Gb to Bb is a major third (4 semitones), Bb to D is a major third (4 semitones). Two major thirds stacked, which splits the octave into three equal parts. The same three keys make an augmented chord on each of its notes, which is why its inversions read as Bbaug and Daug.

Gbaug on the piano

C4D4E4F4G4A4B4C5D5E5F5G5A5B5C#4Eb4Gb4Ab4Bb4C#5Eb5F#5Ab5Bb5C4GbBbC5D

Root position from Gb4: Gb4, Bb4, D5. Middle C is C4.

Gbaug on the guitar

Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has Gb as its lowest note.

GbGb×GbGbBbBbDD×
E-shape barre, root on the E string at fret 2
2 x 4 3 3 x (low E to high e)
Sounds Gb2 Gb3 Bb3 D4
9fr×GbGbDDGbGbBbBbDD
A-shape barre, root on the A string at fret 9
x 9 12 11 11 10 (low E to high e)
Sounds Gb3 D4 Gb4 Bb4 D5

The barre shapes are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play augmented chords on other roots.

Inversions of Gbaug

An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.

PositionNotes, bass firstNamedListen
Root positionGb Bb DGbaug
1st inversionBb D GbBbaug (also read as Gbaug/Bb)
2nd inversionD Gb BbDaug (also read as Gbaug/D)

Where Gbaug fits

Gbaug is III+ in Eb minor. It also appears as a passing chord between Gb and Gb6 or between Gb and the IV chord, where the raised fifth D climbs one half step at a time.