Guitar · Level 6 · Intermediate
Augmented chords in B♭ major on Guitar
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Raising the fifth of a major chord gives the augmented chord, a suspenseful sound that pushes towards IV. Combined with a minor iv it creates a bittersweet phrase.
B♭
Notes: B♭ · D · F
B♭aug
Notes: B♭ · D · F♯
E♭
Notes: E♭ · G · B♭
E♭m
Notes: E♭ · G♭ · B♭
HOW TO PRACTISE IT
Six steps to a clean loop.
- Play each chord on its own: B♭, B♭aug, E♭ and E♭m. Press play on the chord card, then match the sound.
- Press just behind the fret with your fingertips and keep the thumb relaxed behind the neck.
- Set the tempo to 63 BPM and play the progression with one chord per bar. Move only the fifth up a half step to make the augmented chord.
- Strum down on every beat at first, then try down–down–up–up–down–up.
- Raise the tempo to 84 BPM once you can play the loop three times without stopping.
- Record one take, listen back and check for a single rising inner line from the fifth to the sixth.
Listen for
Aim for a single rising inner line from the fifth to the sixth. A common mistake is re-fretting the whole chord instead of moving one note.
Why it works
The raised fifth becomes the third of IV; the minor iv is borrowed from the parallel minor key.
B♭ major has 2 flats; its relative minor key is G minor.
Questions
What are the chords in I–I+–IV–iv in B♭ major?
In B♭ major the progression is B♭ | B♭aug | E♭ | E♭m.
What is the key signature of B♭ major?
B♭ major has 2 flats. Its relative minor is G minor.
Is this lesson right for my level?
This is a level 6 lesson (intermediate). If it feels too hard, start with “Diminished passing chords”.
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