G Augmented
aug
0 - 4 - 8Root + major 3rd + augmented 5th
About G Augmented
G augmented raises the fifth of G major: G, B, D♯. Like every augmented triad it splits the octave into three equal parts, has no settled root, and exists almost entirely to move — usually with one voice rising from D to D♯ and onward to E.
The notes
G, B, D♯. Two stacked major thirds. The chord is symmetrical, so G augmented, B augmented and D♯ augmented contain the same three notes in different orders.
That symmetry means there is no perfect fifth anywhere in the chord, and the absence is what makes it sound suspended rather than dissonant.
How it is used
As the middle step of a rising line. G to G augmented to Em or C is a standard figure: the D climbs to D♯ and then to E, and the augmented chord is simply the moment in between.
On guitar it is voiced on three or four strings and rarely strummed fully. Its life is in the movement, not the sound.
The same three notes appear in the whole-tone scale, which is built entirely of major seconds and contains two augmented triads. That relationship explains why augmented chords sound like the music has briefly lost its footing.
Where it shows up
In mid-century pop and jazz introductions, and at the end of a phrase where a rising inner voice sets up the next chord. It also appears as a substitute for a dominant, since G augmented contains the raised fifth that a G7♯5 would use.
Outside those roles it is rare, which is worth knowing: an augmented chord that does not move usually indicates a mistake in the chart rather than an intention.