BazzLow

EN IT

Module 8 · Lesson 6

Cadences

Recognise the main cadences and the bass motion in each.

Before this lesson: 8.5 Common progressions

Music punctuates itself. The end of a phrase has a chord motion, and each kind of motion feels like a different mark of punctuation.

What a cadence is

A cadence is the chord motion that ends a phrase, like punctuation.

The four main cadences.
Cadence	Chords	Effect	Bass motion (roots)	Examples in C and Am
Authentic	V → I	final, a full stop	5 → 1	G → C; E → Am
Plagal	IV → I	soft close, the “Amen” ending	4 → 1	F → C; Dm → Am
Half	any → V	open, a comma or question	ends on 5	F → G; Dm → E
Deceptive	V → vi (or another chord than I)	surprise: expected home, not reached	5 → 6	G → Am; E → F

Perfect and imperfect

An authentic cadence is called perfect when both chords are in root position and the melody ends on the tonic. Otherwise it is imperfect. Some books also count vii° → I as an imperfect authentic cadence. The plagal cadence is IV → I, the half cadence ends on V, and the deceptive cadence goes from V to a chord other than I.

The bass motions of three cadences in C: 5→1 (G on the E string, fret 3, to C on the A string, fret 3: same fret, next string up); 4→1 (F at fret 1 to C at fret 3); 5→6 (G at fret 3 to A at fret 5, both on the E string).

For the bass

Root position (5 → 1) gives the strongest cadence. Ending on another chord tone, or on an inversion, weakens it on purpose. In minor keys the authentic cadence uses the major V (V → i), and the deceptive cadence goes V → VI.

Try it

In C, play the roots of a phrase that ends with each cadence: C F G C (authentic), C G F C (plagal ending), C F C G (half), C F G Am (deceptive). Describe how each ending feels.

New terms

Tools

Key Chords: The chords of every major and minor key, chosen on the circle of fifths, with bass boxes and common progressions.