What notes are in a D♭ augmented chord?

D♭ augmented contains three notes: D♭ (the root), F (the major third), and A (the augmented fifth).

Is D♭ augmented the same as F augmented?

Enharmonically yes — same three pitches, just inverted. D♭+, F+, and A+ all contain D♭, F, and A. Which one you write depends on which root sits at the bottom in context.

How is D♭+ different from D♭ major?

Only the fifth changes. D♭ major has A♭ as the fifth; D♭+ raises that fifth to A natural. The augmented fifth gives the chord its floating, unresolved sound.

Where does D♭ augmented appear in music?

In B♭ minor harmonic-minor passages (as III+), in chromatic-mediant motion in flat-side keys, and as an altered dominant in jazz voicings. It's less common than C+ or A+ but theoretically equivalent.

Db augmented chord — notes, intervals, and practice

D♭ augmented — D♭, F, A — stacks two major thirds. Like all augmented triads it's symmetric — D♭+, F+, and A+ share the same three pitches in different inversions. The chord most commonly appears as a chromatic-mediant colour or as the III+ of B♭ harmonic minor.

Intervals

The Db augmented chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:

Db→Fmajor 3rd4 semitones
F→Amajor 3rd4 semitones
Db→Aaugmented 5th8 semitones

On the keyboard

Each note of the Db augmented chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.

On the guitar

One voicing of the Db augmented chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.

Common mistakes

D♭+ contains D♭, F, and A. The fifth A is natural, not A♭ — replacing A with A♭ makes a D♭ major chord. The mixed accidentals (one flat, two naturals) are the visual signature of D♭+. The chord is enharmonically the same set of pitches as F+ and A+; on a recording you can't tell them apart.

In context

D♭+ functions as III+ of B♭ harmonic minor. The progression B♭m → D♭+ → G♭ (i → III+ → VI) is a Romantic-era harmonic turn. In jazz, D♭+ also appears as an altered dominant in F minor — a substitute for the V chord with the augmented fifth as a tension to resolve into the i chord.

Drill it

The Db augmented chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.

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Frequently asked

What notes are in a D♭ augmented chord?: D♭ augmented contains three notes: D♭ (the root), F (the major third), and A (the augmented fifth).
Is D♭ augmented the same as F augmented?: Enharmonically yes — same three pitches, just inverted. D♭+, F+, and A+ all contain D♭, F, and A. Which one you write depends on which root sits at the bottom in context.
How is D♭+ different from D♭ major?: Only the fifth changes. D♭ major has A♭ as the fifth; D♭+ raises that fifth to A natural. The augmented fifth gives the chord its floating, unresolved sound.
Where does D♭ augmented appear in music?: In B♭ minor harmonic-minor passages (as III+), in chromatic-mediant motion in flat-side keys, and as an altered dominant in jazz voicings. It's less common than C+ or A+ but theoretically equivalent.