Piano · Level 6 · Intermediate
Augmented chords in D♭ major on Piano
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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.
D♭
Notes: D♭ · F · A♭
D♭aug
Notes: D♭ · F · A
G♭
Notes: G♭ · B♭ · D♭
G♭m
Notes: G♭ · B𝄫 · D♭
HOW TO PRACTISE IT
Six steps to a clean loop.
- Play each chord on its own: D♭, D♭aug, G♭ and G♭m. Press play on the chord card, then match the sound.
- Keep the right hand curved over the keys and move it as one unit between chords.
- 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.
- Play the left-hand bass note on beat one and the right-hand chord on every beat.
- 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.
D♭ major has 5 flats; its relative minor key is B♭ minor.
Questions
What are the chords in I–I+–IV–iv in D♭ major?
In D♭ major the progression is D♭ | D♭aug | G♭ | G♭m.
What is the key signature of D♭ major?
D♭ major has 5 flats. Its relative minor is B♭ 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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