Cadences

A cadence is a point of rest at the end of a phrase, section or complete piece of music.

A cadence is like a musical punctuation.

It is often used to imply what’s happening next.

Types of cadences

Perfect (V-I)

Plagal (IV-I)

Imperfect (I-V or II-V or IV-V or VI-V)

Interrupted (V-VI)

Perfect Cadence

Dominant triad followed by tonic triad (V-I).

Sounds very final.

Like a full-stop.

Plagal Cadence

Subdominant Triad followed by Tonic Triad (IV-I).

Sounds quiet final. Sounds like amen in a church hymn.

Like a semicolon.

Imperfect Cadence

Anything to a dominant triad (?-V).

Sounds incomplete. Chord V feels like it wants to move to the tonic chord.

Like a question mark.

Interrupted Cadence

Dominant triad followed by submediant triad (V-VI).

Sounds unexpected.

Like an interruption.

Perfect Cadence (V-I)- Four Part Vocal Style

Bass sings the root note. Leading note in V rises to tonic in chord I. Common notes in same voice. Remainder note rises a step (2nd). E flat major (V- Bb D F Bb to I-Eb G Bb Eb)

Plagal Cadence (IV-I)-Four Part Vocal Style

Bass sings root note. Common notes in same voice. Remainder two voices move DOWN a step (2nd). E flat major (IV-Ab C Eb Ab to I-Eb G Bb Eb)

Perfect Cadence in C major

Plagal Cadence in C major

Perfect Cadence in A minor

Plagal Cadence in A minor

Homework

Master Your Theory Grade 3 – Dulcie Holland. Complete lessons 9-10.

Master Your Theory Grade 4 – Dulcie Holland. Complete lessons 1-6.

Grade 4 – Theory of Music

I-V reverse of a perfect cadence

II-V outer parts move in contrary motion

IV-V bass rises a step and all other parts fall by a step

VI-V two parts rise and two parts fall (Double 3rd in chord VI)

V-VI (Interrupted Cadence) Bass rises a step, leading note rises to tonic in the same voice and other two parts fall. (Double 3rd in chord VI)

Imperfect Cadence – F majorI-V

Imperfect Cadence – Db majorII-V

Imperfect Cadence – C minorIV-V

Imperfect Cadence – G minorVI-V

Interrupted Cadence – Eb majorV-VI (Double 3rd in VI)

Interrupted Cadence – F# minorV-VI (Double 3rd in VI)