Augmented Chords

[oceanic]

I am just learning the piano keyboard at 40 for fun, tried other instruments, but no interest, so now I bought a nice keyboard used as a piano with I think 64 chords, but I am having a problem right off understanding the augmented chords.

It says to raise up one key from the basic, which is understandable, but for the basic GCE, it seems like it should jump from G#C#A, and when the chord is rewritten, why are they in the order they are in being they are not replacing the note they change?  The augmented chord reads FAC# instead of AC#F.  Did I get it wrong?  Can someone explain?


Thanks for the help!

[oceanic]

I read a peddle augments the notes for piano, is that correct?  There are 4 peddles, augment is one.  To manually augment, there are different methods for different keys, 9th, 6th, etc., but on a keyboard it is manual is that how it works?

I might assume it was a typo in the book, but if someone knows how to augment for basic cord GCE, what would be your notes and why?

Please let me know if you know what I'm asking.

Thank you.

[Bob]

An augmented chord is just two major third stacked on top of each other.  Or another way to creating it -- Take a major triad and raise the fifth by a half step.  C E G to C E G#

Augmented chords are a little unique -- You can spell the same group of notes on the keyboard three different ways (or more maybe).   C E G# = E G# B# = Ab C E = [G# B# Dx (double sharp)]


I have no idea what the peddle augmenting means. 

There is augmentation of rhythm though too -- That's just stretching the same pattern out with longer duration.  Four half notes instead of four quarter notes -- That's lengthened or augmented.

In order to be a "triad" it has to be stacked thirds and you'll end up with a fifth too that way.  It's just a matter of spelling it.  If you have A C# F, that's actually an F augmented triad inverted (a different note than the 'root' is the lowest pitch).  On the keyboard, it still looks the same.  An A augmented triad would be A C# E# though.  And it can sound the same -- for that one chord.  It does matter though for how the chord functions in the piece, what it's doing, where pitches move to and come from, and how it sounds in that piece.

[quantum]

I think I know what you mean by the pedal augmenting.  

First of all we have to clarify some terms.  The word "augment" can mean several things in music as Bob already pointed out.  In your first question relating to augmented chords, this concept of augmenting refers to raising the 5th of a triad by one semitone.  C E G to C E G#.  You can mix up the order of these notes to get inversions of a triad such as E G C or E G# C.  

When talking about the pedals the text you read was probably referring to augmenting the tone of the notes played.  This is a different concept than augmented chords.  The right most pedal - the sustaining or damper pedal - allows you to lift the dampers from the strings so when you take your hands of the keys the strings continue to vibrate.  

To manually augment, there are different methods for different keys, 9th, 6th, etc., but on a keyboard it is manual is that how it works?

You are using the word "augment" in yet another manner here.  It sounds like you are referring to things like 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths.  These are extended chords.  Basically adding stacked thirds on top of a base triad.  

[pianowolfi]

Yes, all that Bob and Quantum say.
What book are you using? To me it looks as if it doesn't really explain things.

[oceanic]

"Play For Pleasure" is the book, by Lean Huls and the page is 10. 

It says to raise each key up one key, all three keys at the same time.  Repeat this three times.  You know to simply raise each key up one key.  Augmented chords are played like this:  If a G aug.  is called for, play the chord that has the G note in it!  And this works for all of them.   Remember that the black keys serve as two notes.   All 4 chords are played in range!  The note that is used in the pedal is teh same as the chord... for instance, the G aug. chrd... play the G pedal and the 3rd chord, etc.

It says there are only 4 augmented chords, FAC#, F#BbD, GBEb, and AbCE.  How do I translate them back to what they were?  And what does that mean?  Any suggested reading material?  I think I need to find a better way to form the chords.

[oceanic]

I'm sorry, it' says its for organ. 

For Fun... you can put this method on a piano too!  Simply follow the rules But place the root of the chord on the bottom on the left hand, or invert chords to bring left hand closer to center of keyboard.

Lot's else too, but I can guess to just turn the playing options to organs for this book until I get a piano book. 

Thanks and sorry for the problems.  Yeah, this is going to be a pain.  I'll write maybe again when I get my book if I have an answer.  This is really useless, but for some of the procedures of how to change what to what.

[quantum]

It says to raise each key up one key, all three keys at the same time.  Repeat this three times.  You know to simply raise each key up one key.  Augmented chords are played like this:  If a G aug.  is called for, play the chord that has the G note in it!  And this works for all of them.   Remember that the black keys serve as two notes.   All 4 chords are played in range!  The note that is used in the pedal is teh same as the chord... for instance, the G aug. chrd... play the G pedal and the 3rd chord, etc.

This is a shortcut to finding augmented chords.  However, this shortcut can be confusing if you don't at first know how to construct an augmented chord.  

Using keyboard geometry there are four augmented chords.  However, theoretically there are 12 (there are more than 12 if you count keys that are enharmonic equivalents).  That is because each augmented chord contains pitch classes shared by three different keys.  These look like the same notes on the keyboard, but in music are spelled differently.  

For example take the chord with pitch classes F A C#:
F maj augmented: F A C#
A maj augmented: A C# E#
C# maj augmented: C# E# Gx
Db maj augmented: Db F A-nat (enharmonic equivalent of C#)

These chords will all sound the same on the keyboard but are spelled differently in each of the keys.  

When it talks about:

It says to raise each key up one key, all three keys at the same time.  Repeat this three times.  You know to simply raise each key up one key.

This is referring to transposing an augmented chord to another key so you can get an augmented chord with different notes.  However, before you do this you have to form the augmented chord in the first place.  This transposition is not to be confused with the formula for an augmented chord.  

You form an augmented chord by starting with a major triad and raising the note on the 5th degree of the scale by one semitone.  Eg: Start with F A C.  C is the note on the 5th degree of the F major scale.  The note one semitone higher is C#.  Therefore the F maj augmented triad is F A C#.  

Keyboard theory is the same, piano or organ, so that part of the book should still serve you.  Where the two instruments differ is in playing technique.  You may wish to get a book that has more in depth explanations of these theoretical elements though.