Augmented chords are interesting and although they sound a bit harsh, when used they can add colour to music. I like the way they sound although some times they are difficult to play. The key with augmented chords (or every chord to my opinion) is to understand what they are, how they are constructed, i.e. the music theory behind augmented chords, but also to learn how to play them using one of the usual fingerings.
What is a D# (or Eb) Augmented Mandolin Chord?
If we now focus on the D# augmented chord, we will see that this chord:
For practical reasons, i.e. due to the double sharps, we never use the theoretical names for D#. Instead, we use the names of the notes of the Eb augmented chord, as you can read below:
When these two intervals are combined, they create D# aug (D-F##-A##), or Eb aug (Db-G-B).
See how the D#aug chord is written on sheet paper:
And here is Eb aug on sheet paper:
How to Practice chords on the mandolin
There are many good articles here at theMandolinTuner for practicing chords. I suggest you start with:
A few details about the 2nd Edition of my book – Mandolin Chords Guidebook Playing Songs
Like almost everybody else, I am in quarantine at home due to COVID-19, so I have started some of the projects I have been postponing for a loooooong time. One of these projects, is [...]
How to Play Five Easy Mandolin Chords
One of the best ways to begin playing mandolin is by strumming chords along with your favorite songs. But what are chords? Chords are simply groups of notes (or sounds) that are played together by [...]
864 Fingered Chord Diagrams
I am always searching for different chords positions on my mandolin. Is it just me? I do not think so! Most people I know memorize a basic set of chords and their positions on their instrument [...]
Easy two finger and three-finger major and minor mandolin chords
Two finger mandolin chords are the reason why playing chords on the mandolin doesn't have to be difficult or complex. Although there are many variants of chords that when used by mandolin masters and [...]
How to practice chords on the mandolin
Here at theMandolinTuner, all variants of each chord are presented with nice photorealistic fingered images. But what is the best way to practice these chords? General Advise I suggest you practice playing the variants one by [...]
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Ok, it is now time to practice. Grab your mandolin and try to play these chord variants now, it is easy, just follow the instructions!
You can use the chord chart that summarises all the positions to play this chord on the mandolin, or use the slideshow that provides also fingering for the most frequently used positions. Remember, you don’t have to learn them all. One or two positions are more than enough!
Resources
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