Caug Ukulele Chord
Looking for the Caug chord on your ukulele? It is a two-finger shape, not hard but new at first. Your fingers go on the g and A strings. The steps below show exactly where each one sits.
A two-finger shape. Here is how to play Caug, step by step.
- Notes: C, E and Ab
- Frets: 1 0 0 3
- Tuning: g C E A
Caug ukulele chord details
- Type
- Augmented triad
- Also known as
- C augmented
- Formula
- 1 3 #5
- Intervals
- C (root), E (major 3rd), Ab (augmented 5th)
- Notes
- C, E and Ab
- Frets
- 1 0 0 3
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Tuning
- Standard (g C E A)
How to play the Caug chord
Here is the Caug chord step by step:
- Put your index finger on the 1st fret of the g string.
- Put your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string.
- Leave the C and E strings open.
- Strum all four strings.
Take it slowly the first few times and it will start to feel natural. New to these grids? Have a look at how to read a ukulele chord diagram.
What notes are in the Caug chord?
The Caug chord is built from three notes: C, E and Ab (the root, major 3rd and augmented 5th). On the ukulele the C is doubled, so you get a nice full sound. That raised fifth gives an augmented chord an eerie, unsettled shimmer, like the music is about to lift somewhere unexpected.
Ukulele songs that use the Caug chord
- Harry JamesIt’s Been a Long, Long Time
- CentimillimentalFuyu No Hanashi (GIVEN)
- MitskiBag Of Bones
- Misc CartoonsFound (Steven Universe The Movie)
- Kacey MusgravesGolden Hour
- KikuoAishite Aishite Aishite
- MelomanceLove, Maybe (사랑인가 봐)
- Édith PiafNon, Je Ne Regrette Rien
- Tyler, the CreatorLike Him (feat. Lola Young)
- CavetownPyjama Pants
Want to go further?
Once Caug feels comfortable, its close relatives are worth exploring: try C7, Cmaj7, Cm and C. Augmented chords are color chords, dropped in for a moment of tension before the music moves on. When that feels good, work on switching between chords faster. When you are ready, try some easy ukulele songs.