Caug7 guitar chord
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About Caug7 — 1st inversion
Caug7 is C, E, G# and Bb. Start with and raise the 5th from to . You’ll also see this chord written C7♯5 or C7(♯5).
Hear that one-note change by comparing with Caug7.
Hear the change
Only the 5th changes: G rises a half step to G♯. The other notes stay in place.
When Caug7 resolves to , that can rise another half step to .
Also written C7#5, C+7 or C7(#5).
What 1st inversion means
Caug7 in 1st inversion puts E in the bass instead of C, the 3rd of the chord. The notes are the same; what changes is what the bass line does, which is most of why you would reach for it — it lets the lowest voice move by step where the root would have jumped.
One of Caug7’s 13 shapes does this:xx2314
How to use Caug7
Caug7 is a dominant with its tension raised, so it still points at — harder than a plain seventh does. A plain dominant has two voices a semitone from home; an altered one has four, because every altered tone is also sitting a semitone from a note of F. More voices leaning the same way is all "more tension" means here.
In a phrase:→→
The ii–V–I of F.
Voice by voice, Caug7 → . 3 voices move by a semitone, and one note is common to both chords. Every voice that moves at all moves by a semitone — the shortest distance there is, which is why the change sounds settled rather than sudden.
| In Caug7 | Moves | In F |
|---|---|---|
| C, the root | stays where it is | C, the fifth |
| E, the major third | rises a semitone | F, the root |
| G#, the sharp fifth | rises a semitone | A, the major third |
| Bb, the flat seventh | falls a semitone | A, the major third |
What to play over Caug7
Useful scales
- +DF#
Contains Caug7 and adds ninth and flat fifth.
- +DbD#F#
Contains Caug7 and adds flat ninth, sharp ninth and flat fifth.
Chords near Caug7
Change one note
1st inversion 1st inversion 1st inversion 1st inversion
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The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in how this site is built.