Chord Shapes

Major Triad Sharp 5

Intervals: 1-3-#5. The augmented triad consists of two stacked major 3rds and is symmetrical, repeating every major 3rd inversion. It sounds bright, unstable and forward-leaning, with a strong sense of motion either upwards or sideways into a new key. In classical and popular harmony it often appears as a tonic or dominant variant on the way to a chord whose root is a semitone above the #5. In jazz and film scores it also functions as part of the Lydian augmented and altered sound worlds. Use it to suggest chromatic modulation, to intensify a resolution, or to evoke a dreamlike, slightly surreal atmosphere.