Cadence (music)

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Perfect authentic cadence (V-I with roots in the bass and tonic in the highest v
oice of the final chord): ii-V-I progression in C, four-part harmony (Benward &
Saker 2003, p.90.). About this sound Play (helpinfo)
In Western musical theory, a cadence (Latin cadentia, "a falling") is, "a melodi
c or harmonic configuration that creates a sense of repose or resolution [finali
ty or pause]."[1] A harmonic cadence is a progression of (at least) two chords t
hat concludes a phrase, section, or piece of music.[2] A rhythmic cadence is a c
haracteristic rhythmic pattern that indicates the end of a phrase.[3] Cadences g
ive phrases a distinctive ending that can, for example, indicate whether the pie
ce is to continue or has concluded. An analogy may be made with punctuation.[4]
Weaker cadences act as "commas" that indicate a pause or momentary rest, while a
stronger cadence acts as a "period" that signals the end of the phrase or sente
nce. A cadence is labeled more or less "weak" or "strong" depending on its sense
of finality. While cadences are usually classified by specific chord or melodic
progressions, the use of such progressions does not necessarily constitute a ca
dencethere must be a sense of closure, as at the end of a phrase. Harmonic rhythm
plays an important part in determining where a cadence occurs.
Cadences are strong indicators of the tonic or central pitch of a passage or pie
ce.[1] Edward Lowinsky thought that the cadence was the "cradle of tonality."[5]
Contents
1 Classification of cadences in common practice tonality with examples
1.1 Authentic cadence
1.2 Half cadence
1.3 Plagal cadence
1.4 Interrupted (or Deceptive) cadence
1.5 Inverted cadence
1.6 Upper leading-tone cadence
1.7 Rhythmic classifications
2 Cadences in medieval and Renaissance polyphony
3 Classical cadential trill
4 Jazz
5 Popular music
6 Rhythmic cadence
7 See also
8 References
Classification of cadences in common practice tonality with examples
PAC (VI progression in C About this sound Play (helpinfo))
IAC (VI progression in C About this sound Play (helpinfo))
Evaded cadence (VV42I6 progression in C About this sound Play (helpinfo))
In music of the common practice period, cadences are divided into four types acc
ording to their harmonic progression: authentic, plagal, half, and deceptive. Ty
pically, phrases end on authentic or half cadences, and the terms plagal and dec
eptive refer to motion that avoids or follows a phrase-ending cadence. Each cade
nce can be described using the Roman numeral system of naming chords:
Authentic cadence
Authentic (also closed, standard or perfect) cadence: V to I (or VI). A seven
th above the root is often added to create V7. The The Harvard Concise Dictionar
y of Music and Musicians says, "This cadence is a microcosm of the tonal system,
and is the most direct means of establishing a pitch as tonic. It is virtually
obligatory as the final structural cadence of a tonal work."[1] The phrase perfe
ct cadence is sometimes used as a synonym for authentic cadence, but can also ha
ve a more precise meaning depending on the chord voicing:
Beethoven Piano Sonata, Op. 13 perfect authentic cadence.[6] About this soun
d Play (helpinfo)
Perfect authentic cadence (PAC): The chords are in root position; that i
s, the roots of both chords are in the bass, and the tonic (the same pitch as ro
ot of the final chord) is in the highest voice of the final chord. A PAC is a pr
ogression from V to I in major keys, and V to i in minor keys. This is generally
the strongest type of cadence and often found at structurally defining moments.
[7] "This strong cadence achieves complete harmonic and melodic closure."[8]
Imperfect authentic cadence (IAC), best divided into three separate cate
gories:
1. Root position IAC: similar to a PAC, but the highest voice is not
the tonic ("do" or the root of the tonic chord).
2. Inverted IAC: similar to a PAC, but one or both chords is inverte
d.
3. Leading tone IAC: the V chord is replaced with the viio/subV chor
d (but the cadence still ends on I).
Evaded cadence: V4
2 to I6
.[9] Because the seventh must fall step wise, it forces the cadence to r
esolve to the less stable first inversion chord. Usually to achieve this a root
position V changes to a V4
2 right before resolution, thereby "evading" the cadence.
Half cadence
Half cadence (IV progression in C major About this sound Play (helpinfo))
Phrygian half cadence (iv6iv6V progression in c minor About this sound Play (helpinf
o))
Phrygian cadence (voice-leading) on E[1] About this sound Play (helpinfo)
Lydian cadence (voice-leading) on E[1] About this sound Play (helpinfo))
Burgundian cadence on G[10] About this sound Play (helpinfo))
Phrygian cadence in Bach's Schau Lieber Gott Chorale.[11] About this sound Play
(helpinfo)
Half cadence ("'Imperfect Cadence'" or semicadence): any cadence ending on V
, whether preceded by V of V, ii, vi, IV, or Ior any other chord. Because it soun
ds incomplete or suspended, the half cadence is considered a weak cadence that c
alls for continuation.[12]
Phrygian half-cadence: a half cadence from iv6 to V in minor, so named b
ecause the semitonal motion in the bass (flat sixth degree to fifth degree) rese
mbles the semitone heard in the iiI of the ancient (15th century) cadence in the
Phrygian mode. Due to its being a survival from modal Renaissance harmony this c
adence gives an archaic sound, especially when preceded by v (v-iv6-V).[13] A ch
aracteristic gesture in Baroque music, the Phrygian cadence often concluded a sl
ow movement immediately followed by a faster one.[14] With the addition of motio
n in the upper part to the sixth degree, it becomes the Landini cadence.[1]
Lydian cadence: The Lydian half-cadence is similar to the Phrygian-half,
involving iv6-V in the minor, the difference is that in the Lydian-half, the wh
ole iv6 is raised by 1/2 step in other words, the Phrygian-half begins with the
first chord built on scale degree P4 and the Lydian-half is built on the scale d
egree 4+ (augmented 4th).[citation needed] The Phrygian cadence ends with the mo
vement from iv6 ? V of bass (3rd of the chord/scale degree 6m) down by semi-tone
? bass (the root of the chord/scale degree P5), fifth (scale degree P1) up by w
hole-tone ? fifth (scale degree 2M), and the root (scale degree P4) up by whole-
step ? octave (scale degree P1/P8); the Lydian half-cadence ends with the moveme
nt from a iv6 (raised by half step) ? V of bass (3rd of the chord/scale degree 6
M) down by whole-tone ? bass (the root of the chord/scale degree P5), fifth (sca
le degree 1+) up by half-step ? fifth (scale degree 2M), and the root (scale deg
ree 4+) up by half-step ? octave (scale degree P1/P8).
Burgundian cadences: Became popular in Burgundian music. Note the parall
el fourths between the upper voices.[10]
Plagal cadence
Plagal cadence (IV-I progression in C About this sound Play (helpinfo))
Plagal cadence: IV to I, also known as the "Amen Cadence" because of its fre
quent setting to the text "Amen" in hymns. William Caplin disputes the existence
of plagal cadences in music of the classical era: "An examination of the classi
cal repertory reveals that such a cadence rarely exists. [...] Inasmuch as the p
rogression IV-I cannot confirm a tonality (it lacks any leading-tone resolution)
, it cannot articulate formal closure [...]. Rather, this progression is normall
y part of a tonic prolongation serving a variety of formal functions not, howeve
r a cadential one. Most examples of plagal cadences given in textbooks actually
represent a postcadential codetta function: that is, the IV-I progression follow
s an authentic cadence but does not itself create genuine cadential closure."[15
] It may be noticed that the plagal cadence, "leaves open the possibility of int
erpretation as V-I-V" rather than I-IV-I.[12] The term "minor plagal cadence" is
used to refer to the iv-I progression. Sometimes a combination of major and min
or plagal cadence is used (IV-iv-I); for a progression with similar sonorities,
see backdoor progression.
Interrupted (or Deceptive) cadence
Deceptive cadence (V-vi progression in C About this sound Play (helpinfo)).
Deceptive cadence in Mozart's Sonata in C Major, K. 330, second movement.[12] Ab
out this sound Play (helpinfo)
Interrupted cadence: V to any chord other than I (typically some form of sub
mediant harmony). The most important irregular resolution,[16] most commonly V7-
vi (or V7-bVI) in major or V7-VI in minor.[16][17] This is considered a weak cad
ence because of the "hanging" (suspended) feel it invokes. One of the most famou
s examples is in the coda of the Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582 by Jo
hann Sebastian Bach: Bach repeats a chord sequence ending with V over and over,
leading the listener to expect resolution to Ionly to be thrown off completely wi
th a fermata on a striking, D-flat major chord in first inversion (?IIthe Neapoli
tan chord). After a pregnant pause, the "real" ending commences. At the beginnin
g of the final movement of Gustav Mahler's 9th Symphony, the listener hears a st
ring of many deceptive cadences progressing from V to IV6.
Inverted cadence
An inverted cadence (also called a medial cadence) inverts the last chord. It ma
y be restricted only to the perfect and imperfect cadence, or only to the perfec
t cadence, or it apply to cadences of all types.[18] To distinguish them from th
is form, the other, more common forms of cadences listed above are known as "rad
ical cadences."[19]
Upper leading-tone cadence
Cadence featuring an upper leading tone from a well known 16th-century lamentati
on, the debate over which was documented in Rome c.1540.[20] About this sound Pl
ay upper-leading tone trill (helpinfo) About this sound Play diatonic trill (helpi
nfo)
For example, in the image (right), the final three written notes in the upper vo
ice are B-C-D, in which case a trill on C produces D. However, convention implie
d a C?, and a cadential trill of a whole tone on the second to last note produce
s D?/E?, the upper leading-tone of D?. Presumably the debate was over whether to
use C?-D? or C?-D for the trill.
Rhythmic classifications
Cadences can also be classified by their rhythmic position. A "metrically accent
ed cadence" occurs on a strong position, typically the downbeat of a measure. A
"metrically unaccented cadence" occurs in a metrically weak position, for instan
ce, after a long appoggiatura. Metrically accented cadences are considered stron
ger and are generally of greater structural significance. In the past the terms
"masculine" and "feminine" were sometimes used to describe rhythmically "strong"
or "weak" cadences, but this terminology is no longer acceptable to some.[21] S
usan McClary has written extensively on the gendered terminology of music and mu
sic theory in her book Feminine Endings.[22]
Metrically unaccented cadence (IV64-V7-I progression in C About this sound Play
(helpinfo)). Final chord postponed to fall on a weak beat.[23]
Bar-line shift's effect on metric accent: first two lines vs. second two lines[2
4] About this sound Play (helpinfo).
Likewise, cadences can be classified as either transient (a pause, like a comma
in a sentence, that implies the piece will continue after a brief lift in the vo
ice) or terminal (more conclusive, like a period, that implies the sentence is d
one).[citation needed] Most transient cadences are half cadences (which stop mom
entarily on a dominant chord), though IAC or deceptive cadences are also usually
transient, as well as Phrygian cadences. Terminal cadences are usually PAC or s
ometimes plagal cadences.
Cadences in medieval and Renaissance polyphony
Clausula vera cadence from Lassus's Beatus homo, mm. 3435[25] About this sound Pl
ay (helpinfo)). Note the half step in one voice and the whole step in the other.
Three voice clausula vera from Palestrina's Magnificat Secundi Toni: Deposuit po
tentes, mm. 2728[25] About this sound Play (helpinfo).
Medieval and Renaissance cadences are based upon dyads rather than chords. The f
irst theoretical mention of cadences comes from Guido of Arezzo's description of
the occursus in his Micrologus, where he uses the term to mean where the two li
nes of a two-part polyphonic phrase end in a unison.
A clausula or clausula vera ("true close") is a dyadic or intervallic, rather th
an chordal or harmonic, cadence. In a clausula vera two voices approach an octav
e or unison through stepwise motion.[25] This is also in contrary motion. In thr
ee voices the third voice often adds a falling fifth creating a cadence similar
to the authentic cadence in tonal music.[25]
According to Carl Dahlhaus, "as late as the 13th century the half step was exper
ienced as a problematic interval not easily understood, as the irrational remain
der between the perfect fourth and the ditone:
\textstyle{{{4 \over 3} \over \left ({9 \over 8} \right )^2} = {256 \over 24
3} }\,\![26]
In a melodic half step, listeners of the time perceived no tendency of the lower
tone toward the upper, or the upper toward the lower. The second tone was not t
he 'goal' of the first. Instead, musicians avoided the half step in clausulas be
cause, to their ears, it lacked clarity as an interval. Beginning in the 13th ce
ntury cadences begin to require motion in one voice by half step and the other a
whole step in contrary motion. In the 14th century, an ornamentation of this, w
ith an escape tone, became known as the Landini cadence, after the composer, who
used them prodigiously.
Renaissance plagal cadence About this sound Play (helpinfo)).
Clausula vera for comparison About this sound Play (helpinfo)).
A plagal cadence was found occasionally as an interior cadence, with the lower v
oice in two-part writing moving up a perfect fifth or down a perfect fourth.[27]
A pause in one voice may also be used as a weak interior cadence.[27]
Pause as weak interior cadence from Lassus's Qui vult venire post me, mm. 35 Abou
t this sound Play (helpinfo).
In counterpoint an evaded cadence is one where one of the voices in a suspension
does not resolve as expected, and the voices together resolved to a consonance
other than an octave or unison[28] (a perfect fifth, a sixth, or a third).
Classical cadential trill
In the Classical period, composers often drew out the authentic cadences at the
ends of sections; the cadence's dominant chord might take up a measure or two, e
specially if it contained the resolution of a suspension remaining from the chor
d preceding the dominant. During these two measures, the solo instrument (in a c
oncerto) often played a trill on the supertonic (the fifth of the dominant chord
); although supertonic and subtonic trills had been common in the Baroque era, t
hey usually lasted only a half measure (e.g., the subtonic trill in the final ca
dence from Bach's Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140).About this sound Pla
y (helpinfo) Extended cadential trills were by far most frequent in Mozart's musi
c, and although they were also found in early Romantic music, their use was rest
ricted chiefly to piano concerti (and to a lesser extent, violin concerti) becau
se they were most easily played and most effective on the piano and violin; the
cadential trill and resolution would be generally followed by an orchestral coda
. Because the music generally became louder and more dramatic leading up to it,
a cadence was used for climactic effect, and was often embellished by Romantic c
omposers. Later on in the Romantic era, however, other dramatic virtuosic moveme
nts were often used to close sections instead.
Jazz
"'Backdoor' ii-V" in C: ii-?VII7-I About this sound Play (helpinfo)
Ascending diminished seventh chord half-step cadence on C.[29] About this sound
Play (helpinfo)
Descending diminished seventh chord half-step cadence on C.[29] About this sound
Play (helpinfo)
In jazz a cadence is often referred to as a turnaround, chord progressions that
lead back and resolve to the tonic. These include the ii-V-I turnaround and its
variation the backdoor progression, though all turnarounds may be used at any po
int and not solely before the tonic.
Half-step cadences are "common in jazz"[30] if not "clich."[31] For example, the
ascending diminished seventh chord half-step cadence, whichusing a secondary dimi
nished seventh chordcreates momentum between two chords a major second apart (wit
h the diminished seventh in between).[29] The descending diminished seventh chor
d half-step cadence is assisted by two common tones.[29]
Popular music
Popular music uses the cadences of the common practice period and jazz, with the
same or different voice leading. Popular cadences with borrowed chord progressi
ons include the backdoor progression, ?II-I, ?III-I, and ?VI-I.[32]
Rhythmic cadence
Rhythmic cadence at the end of the first phrase from Bach's Brandenburg Concerto
no. 3 in G Major, BMV 1048, I, m. 12. About this sound Play (helpinfo) with pitch
es or About this sound Play (helpinfo) with unpitched percussion.
Rhythmic cadences often feature a final note longer than the prevailing note val
ues and this often follows a characteristic rhythmic pattern repeated at the end
of the phrase,[3] both demonstrated in the Bach example pictured.
See also
Andalusian cadence
Approach chord
Cadenza
Corelli cadence
Drum cadence
English cadence
Kadans
Lament bass
List of Caribbean music genres: Cadence-lypso & Cadence rampa
Picardy third
V-IV-I turnaround
?VII-V7 cadence
References
Don Michael Randel (1999). The Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music and Music
ians, p.105. ISBN 0-674-00084-6.
Benward & Saker (2003). Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I, p.359. Sevent
h Edition. ISBN 978-0-07-294262-0.
Benward & Saker (2003). p.91.
Benward & Saker (2003). p.89.
Judd, Cristle Collins (1998). "Introduction: Analyzing Early Music", Tonal S
tructures of Early Music,[page needed]. (ed. Judd). New York: Garland Publishing
. ISBN 0-8153-2388-3.
White, John D. (1976). The Analysis of Music, p.34. ISBN 0-13-033233-X.
Thomas Benjamin, Johann Sebastian Bach (2003). The Craft of Tonal Counterpoi
nt, p.284. ISBN 0-415-94391-4.
Caplin, William E. (2000). Classical Form: A Theory of Formal Functions for
the Instrumental Music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, p.51. ISBN 0-19-514399-X
.
Darcy and Hepokoski (2006). Elements of Sonata Theory: Norms, Types, and Def
ormations in the Late-Eighteenth-Century Sonata, p.. ISBN 0-19-514640-9. "the un
expected motion of a cadential dominant chord to a I6 (instead of the normativel
y cadential I)"
White (1976), p.129-130.
White (1976), p.38.
Jonas, Oswald (1982). Introduction to the Theory of Heinrich Schenker (1934:
Das Wesen des musikalischen Kunstwerks: Eine Einfhrung in Die Lehre Heinrich Sch
enkers), p.24. Trans. John Rothgeb. ISBN 0-582-28227-6.
Finn Egeland Hansen (2006). Layers of musical meaning, p.208. ISBN 87-635-04
24-3.
Randel, Don Michael (2003). The Harvard Dictionary of Music, p.130. ISBN 0-6
74-01163-5.
Caplin, William E. (1998). Classical Form: A Theory of Formal Functions for
the Instrumental Music of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Oxford University Press.
pp. 4345. ISBN 0-19-510480-3.
Foote, Arthur (2007). Modern Harmony in its Theory and Practice, p.93. ISBN
1-4067-3814-X.
Owen, Harold (2000). Music Theory Resource Book, p.132. ISBN 0-19-511539-2.
Kennedy, Michael, ed. (2004). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music, p.116.
ISBN 0-19-860884-5.
"Medial cadence." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University
Press. Web. 23 Jul. 2013.
Berger, Karol (1987). Musica Ficta: Theories of Accidental Inflections in Vo
cal Polyphony from Marchetto da Padova to Gioseffo Zarlino, p.148. Cambridge and
New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-54338-X.
Society for Music Theory (1996-06-06). "Guidelines for Nonsexist Language".
Western Michigan University. Retrieved 2008-07-19.
McClary, Susan (2002). Feminism and Music. University of Minnesota Press. IS
BN 0-8166-4189-7.
Apel, Willi (1970). Harvard Dictionary of Music. cited in McClary, Susan (20
02). Feminine Endings: Music, Gender, and Sexuality, p.9. ISBN 0-8166-4189-7.
Newman, William S. (1995). Beethoven on Beethoven: Playing His Piano Music H
is Way, p.170-71. ISBN 0-393-30719-0.
Benward & Saker (2009). Music in Theory and Practice: Volume II, p.13. Eight
h Edition. ISBN 978-0-07-310188-0.
Dahlhaus, Carl (1990). Studies in the Origin of Harmonic Tonality. trans. Ro
bert O. Gjerdingen. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-09135-8.
Benward & Saker (2009), p.14.
Schubert, Peter (1999). Modal Counterpoint, Renaissance Style, p.132. ISBN 0
-19-510912-0.
Richard Lawn, Jeffrey L. Hellmer (1996). Jazz: Theory and Practice, p.97-98.
ISBN 978-0-88284-722-1.
Norman Carey (Spring, 2002). Untitled review: Harmonic Experience by W. A. M
athieu, p.125. Music Theory Spectrum, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 121134.
Mathieu, quoted ibid.
Romeo, Sheila (1999). Complete Rock Keyboard Method: Mastering Rock Keyboard
, p.43. ISBN 0-88284-982-4.
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