You’ve probably heard the term cadence before but weren’t quite sure what to make of it. Here you’ll find a short and simple explanation of what a cadence is all about. Let’s go!
In music, a cadence is a specific sequence of chords that signals the end of a musical sentence, phrase, or section. It serves as a kind of musical “punctuation" that tells the listener there is a pause or a conclusion within the piece.
It gives the listener orientation within a piece. With the resolution of a V-I cadence, for example, you can practically “feel" that the music is now heading “home."
There are different types of cadences, each with its own effect
- Authentic cadence: This involves the move from the dominant to the tonic (for example, V-I in the key of C major would be G-C) and has a strong, conclusive effect.
- Plagal cadence: This moves from the subdominant to the tonic (for example, IV-I in the key of C major would be F-C) and is often called the “Amen cadence" because it found its way into sacred music. In minor keys, both chords are minor: in F minor, for instance, the Bb minor chord as the subdominant leads back to the tonic, F minor.
- Half cadence: The half cadence ends on the dominant and leaves the music open or incomplete, often with a sense of anticipation.
- Deceptive cadence: This occurs when the music turns in an unexpected direction instead of resolving as expected, often by ending on a chord that is neither the dominant nor the tonic.
Cadences play an important role in structuring music and help create tension and resolution. They are a fundamental part of Western music theory and appear in many different musical styles, from classical to pop.
These terms clearly come from classical harmony. In jazz or popular music, nobody would speak of an authentic cadence; they would simply call it a V-I progression. But it means the same thing.
What is the difference between a cadence and a chord progression?
Both cadences and chord progressions refer to a sequence of chords, but they have different meanings and contexts in music theory.
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of chords played one after another. It often forms the harmonic foundation of a piece of music and can be used in many different styles and genres. A chord progression can be any length and is often repeated. This creates a particular pattern or structure within a piece.
A song can consist of several chord progressions or of just one repeating 4-bar chord progression.
Cadence
A cadence is a special type of chord progression that signals the end of a musical section, phrase, or sentence. It has a special function within the key of a piece because it provides a kind of “punctuation" or conclusion. Cadences often follow certain patterns that create a particular effect, such as a resolution or a half cadence.
As described above, these are the names of the most common cadences:
- Authentic cadence: This ends on the tonic chord and has a strong resolution that often gives a sense of final conclusion.
- Plagal cadence: Known as the “Amen cadence," it consists of the subdominant chord leading to the tonic.
- Half cadence: This ends on the dominant chord and sounds incomplete, like an open question.
- Deceptive cadence: It leads the listener astray by taking an unexpected turn instead of resolving as expected.
In summary, a chord progression is a general sequence of chords, while a cadence is a specific type of chord progression with a special function in music: signaling a conclusion or a pause in a musical thought.
How knowing about cadences and chord progressions helps you
You’re probably thinking: “All well and good, but now what?" Whenever you want to learn a song, there is always a harmonic structure underneath it. No matter which song or which style.
There is always a certain number of bars, with chords assigned to those bars. That is a chord progression.
As soon as you get a little into harmony theory, you’ll notice that many songs share a very similar underlying structure.
Important: Once you have understood this structure, you can internalize new pieces much faster than without this knowledge.
On Zapiano®, you’ll find easier piano pieces to get you started. We make sure that our students can play pieces correctly, note for note, right from the start, without first having to practice études and scales for years.
