G# Augmented 7th (G#7#5)

Also written as Ab Augmented 7th (Ab and G# are the same key).

1+3+#5+b7
B#EG#F#
4 4
Download MIDI

Notes in G# Augmented 7th

G# (root)B#EF#

Inversions

Same notes as G# Augmented 7th, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.

Root position

G# in the bass

B#EG#F#

1st inversion

B# in the bass

B#EF#G#

2nd inversion

E in the bass

EB#F#G#

3rd inversion

F# in the bass

B#EF#G#

Open voicings

A close-position chord like G# Augmented 7th can sound cluttered in the middle of the keyboard. Jazz players open it up by dropping one note down an octave, spreading the same notes wider without changing the chord.

Drop 2

E on the bottom

EB#G#F#

Drop 3

B# on the bottom

B#EG#F#

Play G#, B#, E and F# together and you get G# Augmented 7th.

A dominant seventh with the fifth raised a semitone, borrowing the floating quality of an augmented triad while keeping the pull of a dominant chord underneath it. Jazz players use it to add an extra streak of tension right before a resolution.

Difficulty: Advanced. Category: Seventh chords. Click any key on the diagram above to hear that single note.