Cadences

Why This Matters

Cadences are the punctuation marks of music—they tell listeners when a musical thought is complete, when it's pausing, or when something unexpected is about to happen. You're being tested on your ability to recognize harmonic function, voice leading, and phrase structure, and cadences are where all three concepts converge. Understanding cadences means understanding how composers create tension, release, and narrative flow.

Don't just memorize "V goes to I"—know why each cadence creates its particular effect and when composers choose one over another. Exam questions often ask you to identify cadences by ear, analyze them in scores, or explain their role in formal structure. The difference between a Perfect Authentic Cadence and an Imperfect Authentic Cadence might seem small on paper, but it's the difference between a period and a comma in musical grammar.

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Conclusive Cadences

These cadences create a sense of arrival and closure. The tonic chord (I) appears at the end, signaling that the harmonic journey has reached its destination.

Perfect Authentic Cadence (PAC)

• V–I with both chords in root position—this is the strongest possible resolution in tonal music
• Soprano must end on the tonic note—this voice-leading requirement distinguishes it from the Imperfect Authentic Cadence
• Signals complete closure—used at the ends of phrases, sections, and entire pieces to create unmistakable finality

Imperfect Authentic Cadence (IAC)

• V–I resolution with at least one condition "broken"—either a chord is inverted or the soprano doesn't land on the tonic
• Weaker resolution than PAC—the ear registers arrival but not full closure
• Functions as a comma, not a period—often appears mid-phrase or where the music needs to continue rather than stop

Plagal Cadence

• IV–I motion—the subdominant resolves directly to tonic, bypassing the dominant entirely
• Called the "Amen Cadence"—its gentle, hymn-like quality comes from avoiding the leading tone's pull
• Softer closure than authentic cadences—often used to reinforce a tonic that's already been established by a PAC

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Inconclusive Cadences

These cadences leave the listener hanging. They create tension, expectation, or surprise by avoiding or delaying resolution to the tonic.

Half Cadence (HC)

• Ends on the V chord—any chord can precede it, but the phrase stops on dominant
• Creates musical "question marks"—the dominant's instability demands continuation
• Appears anywhere tension is needed—common at the midpoint of parallel periods, setting up the answering phrase

Deceptive Cadence (DC)

• V resolves to vi instead of expected I—the ear anticipates tonic but gets the submediant
• Creates harmonic surprise—the vi chord shares two notes with I, so it's "close enough" to sound logical but unexpected
• Extends phrases and builds drama—composers use it to delay closure and heighten emotional impact

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Quick Reference Table

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Self-Check Questions

1. You hear a V–I progression, but the soprano ends on scale degree 3. Is this a PAC or IAC, and why?

2. Compare the Half Cadence and the Deceptive Cadence: both avoid immediate resolution to tonic, but how do they create different effects?

3. A hymn ends with a IV–I progression after an earlier PAC. What is this cadence called, and why might a composer add it after the music has already "ended"?

4. Which two cadences share the V chord as their starting point but resolve to different destinations? What emotional difference does this create?

5. You're analyzing a period structure where the first phrase ends on V and the second phrase ends with root-position V–I with soprano on tonic. Identify both cadences and explain how they create a question-answer relationship.