Tags: #tonic
All theory articlesMain Types of Cadences
Learn the main types of cadences: complete, half, interrupted, authentic, plagal, perfect, and imperfect cadences.
Reader level: ArrangerWhat Is a Cadence in Music?
A simple explanation of cadence: how a chord pattern closes or pauses a musical phrase, with the main types and examples.
Reader level: ArrangerTonic, Subdominant, and Dominant
Learn how the three main harmonic functions work: tonic, subdominant, and dominant. Formulas and examples in major and minor keys.
Reader level: ArrangerWhat Is Chord Function?
Learn what chord function means in a key, how function differs from chord name, and how to hear stability, motion, and tension.
Reader level: ArrangerWhat Is the Tonic?
A clear explanation of the tonic: how it creates a sense of home, why it is not always the first note, and how to hear it in melody and harmony.
Reader level: ArrangerWhat Is a Key in Music
A simple explanation of musical keys: what a tonal center is, how a key differs from a scale, why the tonic matters, and how keys connect melodies, chords, and the guitar fretboard.
Reader level: PerformerWhat Is a Scale Degree
A simple explanation of scale degrees: how to count notes inside a scale, why the tonic matters, how a scale degree differs from a note name, and how to see scale degrees on the guitar fretboard.
Reader level: Musician