A214 - Cadences

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Cadences: 'are the punctuation of music'
  • Perfect cadence is formed by V - I
  • Plagal cadence is formed by IV - I
  • Imperfect cadence is formed by 'any chord' - V
  • Interrupted cadence is formed by V - vi (or any chord other than V or I)

Additional tips:

  • With cadences, you have to concentrate on either the bottom line (to work out which two chords are being used) or on the particular expressive effect of the pair of chords heard (or use both methods in combination). Other elements, such as changes of texture or of tessitura have to be ignored.
  • The interrupted cadence in a major key (but not a minor key) ends on a minor chord

Minor Cadences...

... each of the cadences have a unique arrangement of major and/or minor chords...

Cadence Combination
Perfect cadence =

Major - minor
V - i
Imperfect cadence =

minor - Major
i or iv - V
Plagal cadence =

minor - minor
iv - i
Interrupted cadence =

Major - Major
V - VI (or any other than i or V)

... so they are easier to spot in minor keys than in major keys

(Unit 16, p.74 - 75)
See also: Guideline progressions for ways to use the above cadences
Home : OU-ers' sites : A214 : My A214 Notes : Cadences

Taken from A214, Unit 8

Last updated: 5 May, 2004