Theory · glossary
Cadence
Also called perfect cadence, authentic cadence, plagal cadence, half cadence, deceptive cadence
A cadence is the chord move that ends a musical phrase, the way punctuation ends a sentence. In C major, G to C (V to I) is a full stop, F to C (IV to I) is the softer amen ending, and stopping on G leaves the phrase hanging like a question.
A cadence is the last two chords of a phrase, and they tell your ear whether the music has finished or will carry on. Four patterns cover most of what you will hear. Here they are in C major:
| Cadence | Chords in C | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect (authentic) | G to C (V to I) | A full stop |
| Plagal | F to C (IV to I) | A gentle “amen” |
| Half (imperfect) | Any chord to G (ends on V) | A comma or a question |
| Deceptive (interrupted) | G to Am (V to vi) | A swerve |
The perfect cadence is the strongest of the four. The bass drops from G to C, and B, the note a half step under C, rises into it. G7 (G B D F) adds a second pull: its F falls a half step to E, so B and F, the two tensest notes in G7, both land on notes of the C chord.
The plagal cadence is also called the amen cadence, because hymns so often set the word “Amen” to it. A half cadence stops on G, so the phrase sounds like it will continue, which suits the end of a verse that leads into a chorus. The deceptive cadence sets up the G to C landing, then goes to Am instead, which keeps a song moving just when it sounded about to end.
The names come in two sets. American books say authentic, half and deceptive; British books say perfect, imperfect and interrupted. Plagal is plagal in both, and the chords are the same whatever you call them.
A common way to stretch the tension is a suspended chord on the way in. Play Gsus4 (G C D), then G, then C: the C in Gsus4 drops to B, and B then rises back to C.
Most verses and choruses end on a cadence, even when nobody names it. Pick C major in the free online chord player and tap the pairs above to hear all four, then see how to write a chord progression for where to put them in a song. The deceptive cadence also turns up among these sad chord progressions.
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