What Is a Cadence in Music?

A cadence is harmonic punctuation.

Speech has periods, commas, questions, and ellipses. Music has something similar: cadences show whether a musical idea has ended, stopped halfway, or turned in an unexpected direction.

A cadence usually appears at the end of a phrase, period, verse, chorus, or section. It does not simply connect the last two chords. It creates the feeling of a boundary.

A cadence is a harmonic pattern that closes or pauses a musical phrase.

For example, in C major, the motion G → C (V → I) sounds like a clear ending.

But the motion C → F → G (I → IV → V) ends on the dominant and sounds unfinished.

A cadence shows where a musical idea has closed, where it has paused, and where it still expects continuation.

Main definition

A cadence is a short harmonic pattern at the end of a musical phrase that creates a feeling of closure, pause, or expectation.

It depends on more than the chords alone.

The feeling of a cadence is affected by:

• chord functions;
• the final melodic note of the phrase;
• the bass;
• chord inversion;
• rhythm;
• strong or weak beat placement;
• the duration of the final chord;
• the cadence’s place within the form.

That is why the same pair of chords can feel different if you change the melody, bass, or metric placement.

Why cadences matter

Cadences help you hear musical form.

Without them, harmony can feel like a continuous stream of chords. With cadences, the structure becomes clearer:

beginning of phrase → motion → tension → closure

Cadences help you:

• understand where a musical idea ends;
• distinguish a question from an answer;
• build verses, choruses, and transitions;
• manage the listener’s expectations;
• make progressions feel directed;
• move harmonic patterns into other keys.

If chord function answers the question “What is this chord doing right now?”, then cadence answers a larger question:

What happened to the phrase: did it close, pause, or avoid the expected resolution?

Authentic cadence: V–I

An authentic cadence moves from dominant to tonic.

In C major:

G → C
V → I

The dominant creates tension. The tonic resolves it.

The main reason V–I feels strong is the leading tone. In C major, the chord G contains the note B:

G = G–B–D

B sits a semitone below C and pulls toward it:

B → C
7 → 1

That is why G → C sounds like a clear return home.

tension → resolution
D → T
V → I

An authentic cadence often acts like a period at the end of a phrase or section.

Perfect authentic cadence

In formal theory, a perfect authentic cadence is treated as a specific strong form of authentic cadence.

It usually requires three conditions:

• V or V7 moves to I;
• both chords are in root position;
• the top voice ends on the tonic.

In C major, a strong version is:

G7 → C
V7 → I

The chord G7 contains two important tendencies:

B → C
F → E

B moves to the tonic C. F moves to E, the third of the tonic chord C.

That is why V7–I sounds more directed than a simple V–I.

For practice, you do not need to memorize every academic condition immediately. The main thing to hear is this: the dominant creates tension, and the tonic closes the motion.

Half cadence: stopping on V

A half cadence does not fully close the phrase. It stops on the dominant.

In C major:

C → F → G
I → IV → V

After G, the phrase feels open. It sounds like a question or a pause before continuation.

T → S → D
stability → departure → tension

The tonic has not returned yet. That is why a half cadence works well at the end of the first phrase in a period: it creates expectation, and the next phrase answers with closure.

A simple two-phrase example:

phrase 1: C → F → G
phrase 2: C → F → G7 → C

The first phrase ends on V and sounds unfinished. The second returns to I and completes the idea.

Plagal cadence: IV–I

A plagal cadence moves from subdominant to tonic.

In C major:

F → C
IV → I

It sounds softer than an authentic cadence V–I.

Compare:

F → C
IV → I

and:

G → C
V → I

IV–I returns to the tonic without a strong leading-tone pull. V–I sounds more directed because the dominant contains the leading tone.

A plagal cadence often feels like a gentle confirmation of a tonic that has already been established. It can sound calm, broad, and less dramatic.

Deceptive cadence: V–vi

A deceptive cadence appears when the ear expects the tonic but gets another chord instead.

In C major, the expected resolution is:

G → C
V → I

But instead of C, Am appears:

G → Am
V → vi

The dominant promises a return to I, but the music moves to vi.

This is not a random mistake. In C major, C and Am are closely related by sound:

C  = C–E–G
Am = A–C–E

They share two notes. That is why vi is partly connected to the tonic area, but does not give full closure.

A deceptive cadence creates this effect:

expected a period → got continuation

It is useful when you want to extend a phrase, increase drama, or delay the final resolution.

Evaded cadence and delayed resolution

Sometimes the dominant also promises resolution, but the music moves away and returns to the tonic later.

For example:

G → Am → F → G → C
V → vi → IV → V → I

Here the first G creates the expectation of C, but Am appears instead. Then the harmony takes an extra turn and only later arrives at C.

This technique helps avoid closing the phrase too early.

For a first pass, it is enough to distinguish two effects:

V → I  = expected resolution
V → vi = avoided expectation

More detailed types of evaded and interrupted cadences can wait until later.

Comparing the main types

In C major, the main cadence types can be shown like this:

This table is a practical map, not a full academic catalogue. In real music, cadences depend on phrase structure, melody, rhythm, and texture.

A cadence is not just the last two chords

A common mistake is to look only at the last two chords and immediately name the cadence.

Suppose the ending has G and C:

G → C

That looks like an authentic cadence. But the strength of the closure depends on context.

Important questions:

• where does the melody end?
• on which beat does the final chord arrive?
• is the tonic in the bass?
• does the phrase actually feel finished?
• was the dominant prepared before the ending?
• does the music continue immediately afterward?

A cadence is not just a harmonic formula. It is a moment in the form.

Cadence and phrase

A cadence only works where there is a musical phrase.

A phrase is like a sentence. It has a beginning, development, and ending.

For example:

C → F → G

can sound like a first phrase with a question.

Then:

C → F → G7 → C

can sound like a second phrase with an answer.

Together they form a simple pair:

question → answer
half cadence → authentic cadence

This is why cadences matter for song form. They help separate the start of an idea, a pause, continuation, and final closure.

How to transpose cadences

Cadences are easiest to move with Roman numerals.

The formula:

V → I

keeps the same function in any key.

In C major:

G → C
V → I

In G major:

D → G
V → I

In D major:

A → D
V → I

The chord names change, but the role stays the same: the dominant returns to the tonic.

You can move other cadences the same way:

IV → I
V → vi
… → V

The key is to move the function, not the literal chord names.

Cadences in minor

In minor, cadences work in a similar way, but the dominant can appear in two forms.

In A natural minor, the softer motion is:

Em → Am
v → i

There is no leading tone G♯, so the resolution sounds softer.

For a stronger cadence in minor, harmony often uses a major dominant or dominant seventh chord:

E7 → Am
V7 → i

Here G♯ appears:

G♯ → A
7 → 1

The first version sounds softer and closer to natural minor. The second sounds more directed and closes the phrase more strongly.

This is an important feature of minor-key harmony: for a strong cadence, minor often uses the raised seventh degree.

Cadence and melody

Melody can strengthen or weaken a cadence.

If the melody arrives on the tonic at the end of the phrase, the closure sounds stronger.

In C major:

melody: B → C
harmony: G → C
function: V → I

If the melody ends on the third or fifth of the tonic chord, the closure can feel softer.

For example, the chord C contains:

C = C–E–G

A phrase can end on C, E, or G, but the feeling will not be the same:

C = strongest point
E = softer
G = more open

So a cadence is not only about chords. The final melodic note also affects the strength of the ending.

Cadence and bass

The bass shows the foundation of the harmony.

G → C with G and C in the bass sounds stable:

G → C
V → I

If the chords are inverted, the feeling can become weaker or softer.

For example:

G/B → C
V6 → I

This is still dominant to tonic, but the bass moves B → C, not G → C. The motion becomes smoother.

Inversions do not cancel the function, but they change the strength of the cadence.

How Six Strings App can help

In Harmony, you can choose a key and compare cadences in the same context.

Start with C major:

V–I
V7–I
IV–I
…–V
V–vi

In the Song Builder, you can create two endings:

C → F → G → C
C → F → G → Am

The first closes on the tonic. The second delays the ending.

In the Chord Function Trainer, it is useful to practice dominant and tonic separately: without hearing D → T, cadences are hard to recognize confidently.

Five-minute exercise

1. Choose C major

Play:

G → C
V → I

This is an authentic cadence. Listen for the feeling of a period.

2. Compare it with a plagal cadence

F → C
IV → I

Listen to why IV–I sounds softer than V–I.

3. Stop on the dominant

C → F → G
I → IV → V

Do not resolve G to C. Listen for the feeling of a question.

4. Make a deceptive resolution

G → Am
V → vi

Listen to how the expected C is replaced by continuation.

5. Move the formulas to G major

D → G
V → I

C → G
IV → I

D → Em
V → vi

The functions stay the same, while the chord names change.

Common mistakes

Treating any final two chords as a cadence. A cadence works at the end of a phrase or section. Without a phrase, it may simply be a chord change.

Confusing a cadence with a full progression. A progression can last through an entire verse. A cadence is the pattern that shapes the end of a phrase.

Judging a cadence only by its chords. You also need melody, bass, rhythm, and placement in the form.

Assuming V–I always sounds equally strong. Inversions, a weak beat, or an unfinished melody can weaken the cadence.

Treating a half cadence as a mistake. Stopping on V is useful when you want to create expectation.

Confusing plagal and authentic cadences. IV–I closes more softly. V–I sounds more directed.

Missing the difference between v–i and V–i in minor. The minor dominant sounds softer. The major dominant with a raised seventh degree pulls more strongly to the tonic.

What to study next

• Main Types of Cadences — a detailed catalogue of cadence types with examples.
• Tonic, Subdominant, and Dominant — the three functions behind basic cadences.
• What Is Chord Function? — why the same chord can play different roles.
• Chords in a Major Key — the chord map of major keys.
• Chords in a Minor Key — natural minor and the major dominant.
• Harmony — chords, cadences, and modulations in a selected key.

Short summary

A cadence is a harmonic pattern that shapes the end of a musical phrase.

It can create closure:

V → I

leave expectation:

… → V

close softly:

IV → I

or avoid the expected resolution:

V → vi

A cadence works like musical punctuation. It shows whether an idea has ended, paused in expectation, or turned somewhere unexpected.