C# Augmented 7th (C#7#5)

Also written as Db Augmented 7th (Db and C# are the same key).

1+3+#5+b7
E#ABC#
4 4
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Notes in C# Augmented 7th

C# (root)E#AB

Inversions

Same notes as C# 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

C# in the bass

E#ABC#

1st inversion

E# in the bass

E#ABC#

2nd inversion

A in the bass

ABE#C#

3rd inversion

B in the bass

BE#AC#

Open voicings

A close-position chord like C# 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

A on the bottom

E#BC#

Drop 3

E# on the bottom

ABC#

C# Augmented 7th consists of C#, E#, A and B, played at the same time.

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.