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Guitar scale · augmented hexatonic

C Augmented Scale

Six-note symmetrical scale that alternates a minor 3rd and a half step: 1 ♯2 3 5 ♯5 7. It holds two augmented triads.

Notes CD#EGG#B
Formula 1 ♯2 3 5 ♯5 7
Steps W+H H W+H H W+H H
Mood Symmetrical, Modern, Floating
Heard in Over augmented and maj7♯5 chords, Jazz

Interactive scale diagram

C Augmented Scale · Standard tuning

STR OP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 E A D G B E

Tap any note to hear it.

C Augmented Scale tab: all 5 positions

Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.

Position 1 · E shape frets 8–12
e|--------------------------------8-11-12-|
B|---------------------------9-12---------|
G|--------------------8-9-12--------------|
D|---------------9-10---------------------|
A|---------10-11--------------------------|
E|-8-11-12--------------------------------|
Position 2 · D shape frets 10–14
e|-------------------------------------11-12-|
B|-------------------------------12-13-------|
G|-------------------------12-13-------------|
D|----------------10-13-14-------------------|
A|-------10-11-14----------------------------|
E|-11-12-------------------------------------|
Position 3 · C shape frets 12–16
e|-------------------------------------12-15-16-|
B|-------------------------------13-16----------|
G|----------------------12-13-16----------------|
D|----------------13-14-------------------------|
A|----------14-15-------------------------------|
E|-12-15-16-------------------------------------|
Position 4 · A shape frets 15–19
e|-------------------------------------15-16-19-|
B|-------------------------------16-17----------|
G|-------------------------16-17----------------|
D|-------------------17-18----------------------|
A|----------15-18-19----------------------------|
E|-15-16-19-------------------------------------|
Position 5 · G shape frets 17–21
e|-------------------------------------19-20-|
B|-------------------------------20-21-------|
G|----------------------17-20-21-------------|
D|-------------17-18-21----------------------|
A|-------18-19-------------------------------|
E|-19-20-------------------------------------|

How to play C Augmented on guitar

Find the root first: C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (3, 5, 7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.

Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 8–12. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.

Degrees

DegreeNote
1 C
♯2 D#
3 E
5 G
♯5 G#
7 B

Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android

Practise C Augmented anywhere, even offline.

This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.

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Questions

What notes are in the C Augmented Scale?
The C Augmented Scale has 6 notes: C, D#, E, G, G#, B.
What is the formula of the augmented scale?
1 ♯2 3 5 ♯5 7, which is the step pattern W+H H W+H H W+H H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Where do I play C Augmented on the guitar?
The root C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 8–12, and four more positions connect it up the neck.

Augmented Scale in every key

More scales in C