Caug7

Caug7 is C, E, G# and Bb, a augmented seventh. The shape this page opens on is written x323x4, lowest string first.

Also written C7#5, C+7 or C7(#5). The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 5 common shapes for Caug7 on the guitar, and 25 derived voicings in 4 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x323x4, x36354, 8x8990, 878x9x, x-x-10-13-11-12.

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. Caug7 has x3x354, 8x899x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Caug7 has x1211x, 4323xx, xx6556, 6765xx, xx8998, x-11-10-9-11-x, x-13-14-13-13-x, xx2314.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Caug7 has 4x231x, x1x110, x3x354, x7x596, 6x655x, x-11-x-9-11-8, 8x899x, 12-x-10-13-11-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. Caug7 has 030354.

Tensions. A shell of Caug7, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the b9 (Db), the 9 (D), the #9 (D#) and the #11 (F#).

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