What notes are in a G♭ augmented chord?

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

Is G♭ augmented the same as F♯ augmented?

Enharmonically yes — same three pitches. G♭+ uses flat-side spelling; F♯+ uses sharp-side. They're identical in sound.

How is G♭+ different from G♭ major?

Only the fifth changes. G♭ major has D♭ as the fifth; G♭+ raises that fifth to D natural. The chord then loses its stable major character and gains the augmented "floating" quality.

Where does G♭ augmented appear in music?

In E♭ minor harmonic-minor passages (as III+), in chromatic-mediant motion through flat keys, and as a pivot chord between flat and sharp tonal areas in modulating music.

Gb augmented chord — notes, intervals, and practice

G♭ augmented — G♭, B♭, D — stacks two major thirds. The chord is enharmonic to F♯+ (and to A♯+/B♭+, D+ in inversion). G♭+ appears in flat-side music as a chromatic colour chord; it's less common than its enharmonic neighbour F♯+ because flat-side augmented harmony is rarer than sharp-side.

Intervals

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

Gb→Bbmajor 3rd4 semitones
Bb→Dmajor 3rd4 semitones
Gb→Daugmented 5th8 semitones

On the keyboard

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

On the guitar

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

Common mistakes

G♭+ has G♭ and B♭ as the lower notes (matching G♭ major) but the fifth is D natural, not D♭. The mix of two flats and one natural is unusual in flat-key writing. Replacing D with D♭ produces a G♭ major chord; the half-step difference is the entire identity of the augmented colour.

In context

G♭+ functions as III+ of E♭ harmonic minor: E♭m → G♭+ → C♭ (i → III+ → VI) is a Romantic-era harmonic colour. In modern music, G♭+ also appears in chromatic-mediant progressions where it pivots between flat-side and sharp-side keys.

Drill it

The Gb 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 G♭ augmented chord?: G♭ augmented contains three notes: G♭ (the root), B♭ (the major third), and D (the augmented fifth).
Is G♭ augmented the same as F♯ augmented?: Enharmonically yes — same three pitches. G♭+ uses flat-side spelling; F♯+ uses sharp-side. They're identical in sound.
How is G♭+ different from G♭ major?: Only the fifth changes. G♭ major has D♭ as the fifth; G♭+ raises that fifth to D natural. The chord then loses its stable major character and gains the augmented "floating" quality.
Where does G♭ augmented appear in music?: In E♭ minor harmonic-minor passages (as III+), in chromatic-mediant motion through flat keys, and as a pivot chord between flat and sharp tonal areas in modulating music.