Level 1 · Lesson 4
Cadences and Progressions
Harmonic punctuation — perfect, deceptive, plagal cadences and half-cadences.
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Pause Culture · Cadences
Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)
In his Symphony No. 94, known as the 'Surprise', Haydn uses an unexpected cadence to wake up his audience. After a long, gentle phrase, a fortissimo chord bursts in where the liste…
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À retenir : The cadence is the punctuation of music: it can affirm, question or surprise.
Cadences: the punctuation of musical discourse
In tonal music, a cadence is a harmonic formula that closes a musical phrase. Like punctuation in language, it signals the level of conclusion — full stop, comma, question or surprise. The nature of the cadence determines whether the music closes, opens or bounces forward.
All cadences rest on the same engine: the dominant → tonic relationship. What distinguishes them is the resolution — expected, softened, absent or subverted.
Click a cadence to hear it in C major.
Summary
| Cadence | Structure | Example (C maj.) | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perfect cadence | V → I | G7 → C | Conclusive, final |
| Imperfect cadence | V → I | G7/B → C/E | Conclusive, softened |
| Deceptive cadence | V → VI | G7 → Am | Surprise, extends |
| Plagal cadence | IV → I | F → C | Soft, solemn |
| Half cadence | … → V | Dm → G7 | Suspensive, questioning |