Learn to Play Bb / A# Augmented
Also written: A# Augmented — same keys, same sound, two spellings of one chord.
What notes are in bb augmented?
The bb augmented chord (Bbaug) is built from the notes Bb, D, F# — root, major 3rd, ♯5 / ♭6.
Bbaug
Two major thirds stacked: root, major 3rd, augmented 5th. The raised 5th splits the octave exactly in three, so the chord is perfectly symmetrical.
How does bb augmented sound?
Dreamlike and unresolved in a floating way — where diminished tension pushes, augmented tension hovers. It sounds like a question mark.
Usually a passing chord: the raised 5th climbs from a plain major chord toward the 6th (C → C+ → C6 or Am). Its symmetry means every inversion is another augmented triad.
Where do you use Bbaug?
Use Bb+ as a passing chord: Bb → Bb+ → Bb6 keeps the bass still while the 5th climbs — a classic line from doo-wop to "Oh! Darling".
Bb is the horn-section default — jazz standards overwhelmingly start in flat keys, and Bb is the first door into that world.
The Beatles ("Oh! Darling" intro), old Hollywood dream sequences, and jazz turnarounds where a V+ adds lift before resolving.
How do you finger Bbaug on piano?
The evenly spread shape sits comfortably under 1-3-5; because both intervals are wide, keep the wrist loose and let the hand open slightly more than for a major triad.
The root is a black key — let the longer fingers (2, 3) own the black notes and keep the thumb toward the white keys where the shape allows.
Tip: the common mistake
Treating the ♯5 as a wrong note and "correcting" it to the perfect 5th mid-passage. Commit to the raised note — its pull upward IS the point.
Reading about Bb Augmented is step one — recognizing it at speed is the game. Chord Rush drills it until your hands know it.
- ⚡Speed
- ◎Accuracy
- ♪Recognition