Augmentation of Intervals
An interval is augmented if it is widened by a chromatic semitone. Thus an augmented fifth, for example, is a chromatic semitone wider than the perfect fifth. The standard abbreviations for augmented intervals are AX, such that an augmented third = A3.
| Augmented unison | Augmented second | Augmented third | Augmented fourth | Augmented fifth | Augmented sixth | Augmented seventh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Play | Play | Play | Play | Play | Play | Play |
A good example of this can be seen in the left hand part of Chopin's famous E minor prelude Op. 28, No. 4. Many of the chord sequences change with the top or bottom note augmenting or diminishing the next chord as the music progresses.
Augmented triad on C play |
Augmented dominant seventh chord on C Play |
An augmented chord is one which contains an augmented interval, almost invariably the 5th of the chord. An augmented triad is a major triad whose fifth has been raised by a chromatic semitone; it is the principal harmony of the whole tone scale.
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