CHORD CAMP

Attention! Colonel Iain Scott sharpens his sabre – and his 5th – to create augmented triads that he applies to retro, jazz and Latin grooves.

Iain Scott applies augmented triads to retro, jazz and Latin grooves

Welcome to this month’s instalment of Chord Camp. As you started out on your musical learning journey, you will have surely heard about triads. But you might not have realised that they are built from the four combinations of major 3rd and minor 3rd intervals. Hence a major triad is built from a major 3rd and a minor 3rd stacked on top of one another; a minor triad is built from stacked minor 3rd and major 3rd; a diminished triad from minor 3rd and minor 3rd; and an augmented triad from a major 3rd and major 3rd. G augmented is, therefore, G-B-D# (R-3-#5). Also, as this is a symmetrical shape (it can be repeated every four frets on the guitar), G augmented can also be seen as B or D# augmented.

Here are four sets of voicings that show you the augmented triad and four-note (chord) voicings that are common in all styles of playing. You will often see the augmented chord name shown as either ‘G aug’ or ‘G+’.