Caug Chord on Guitar

1,008 guitar chords with several shapes each, finger numbers, difficulty and real sound, in any tuning.

Caug is a augmented chord made of 3 notes: C, E, G♯. It sounds eerie and expectant, and you hear it in a step between a chord and the next, for example in a rising line.

The library above opens on Caug with 14 shapes up and down the neck. Tap a shape to hear it, or play it one string at a time.

Notes in Caug

Note	Degree	Interval from C	Semitones
C	1	root	0
E	3	major third	4
G♯	♯5	augmented fifth	8

Formula: 1 – 3 – ♯5.

How to play Caug

Open positionEasyx32110

Fret 4Beginnerxxx554

Fret 6Beginner876xxx

Fret 9Beginnerxx(10)99x

Fret 13Beginnerx(15)(14)(13)xx

Fret 2Mediumx32554

Open position (root on the 5th string), step by step

1st finger (index): 3rd string, 1st fret (G♯, the sharp fifth).
2nd finger (middle): 2nd string, 1st fret (C, the root).
3rd finger (ring): 4th string, 2nd fret (E, the major third).
4th finger (little): 5th string, 3rd fret (C, the root).
Let the 1st string ring open (E).
Strum from the 5th string, and keep the 6th string quiet.

Tips

The open position shape is the one to learn first. Once it is easy, try the shape at the 6th fret (876xxx): the same chord, higher and brighter, handy when the chords before and after it sit up the neck.

Where Caug fits

Caug is not built from one major or minor scale, so it works as a colour or passing chord. A step between a chord and the next, for example in a rising line.