F# Augmented Chord
The F# augmented chord contains F sharp, A sharp, C double sharp. Start with an F sharp major triad and raise its fifth by one semitone to C double sharp. The three notes now stand four semitones apart, twice in a row.
- Notes: F sharp-A sharp-C double sharp
- Formula: 1-3-sharp 5
- Two major thirds
Which keys make this chord?
The root is F sharp, the major third is A sharp, and the augmented fifth is C double sharp. The spelling is F sharp-A sharp-C double sharp, formula 1-3-sharp 5. C double sharp is played on the D key. Its written name shows that it is the raised fifth above F sharp. Both gaps inside the chord are major thirds, or four semitones each.
The symbol may be written F sharpaug or F sharp+. The plus sign means the fifth is raised. It does not ask you to add an extra note to a normal major triad. Augmented Chord explains the pattern from other roots.
What are the two inversions?
Move the lowest note up an octave at each step:
- Root position: F sharp-A sharp-C double sharp, F sharp lowest.
- First inversion: A sharp-C double sharp-F sharp, A sharp lowest.
- Second inversion: C double sharp-F sharp-A sharp, C double sharp lowest.
The three notes remain the same in every position. Because each neighboring gap is a major third, the shape can feel unusually even as you rotate it. The written root still depends on how the chord is spelled and used in the music; Chord Inversions shows how the bass position is marked.
How does it differ from F sharp major?
Play the F# Major Chord and then the augmented triad without changing the root or third. Only the fifth moves up one semitone. Return to the major triad and listen for the familiar perfect fifth coming back. This is a more reliable test than calling the augmented sound simply “mysterious.”
Does the chord point to one destination?
Not by itself. Its evenly spaced notes do not provide the same clear root-and-fifth anchor as a major triad. In a passage, a moving melody or bass can give it direction. Try holding F sharp in the bass while moving C double sharp up and down by one key; then try the same triad with A sharp in the bass. The surrounding notes decide how the moment functions.
A quick keyboard test
Build F sharp major from memory. Raise only its fifth. Play the result broken, then together, and name each four-semitone jump. If you can find both jumps without the note list, you can rebuild the chord from any root.