Bbaug7

Bbaug7 is Bb, D, F# and Ab, a augmented seventh. The shape this page opens on is written x14132, lowest string first.

Also written Bb7#5, Bb+7 or Bb7(#5). The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 5 common shapes for Bbaug7 on the guitar, and 28 derived voicings in 4 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x14132, 656x7x, 6x677x, x-x-8-11-9-10, x-13-12-13-x-14.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Bbaug7 has x1x132, 6x677x, x-13-x-13-15-14.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Bbaug7 has 2101xx, xx4334, 4543xx, xx6776, x9879x, x-11-12-11-11-x, 14-13-12-13-x-x, x1413x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Bbaug7 has x1x132, x5x374, 4x433x, x9x796, 6x677x, 10-x-8-11-9-x, x-11-x-11-11-10, 14-x-12-13-11-x.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Bbaug7 has 454300, 6x6770, 4x4330.

Tensions. A shell of Bbaug7, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the b9 (Cb), the 9 (C), the #9 (C#) and the #11 (E).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.