Overview
This lecture explains musical cadences, their types, characteristics, and how they are played, aiming to help students recognize and use them in music.
Introduction to Cadences
- A cadence is a musical punctuation marking the end or pause of a phrase.
- Cadences give music a sense of completion or continuation, similar to periods, commas, or question marks in sentences.
Types of Cadences
- Perfect Cadence: Moves from chord V (or V7) to I and sounds finished and resolved.
- Plagal Cadence: Moves from chord IV to I and has a softer, church-like sound; also ends a phrase but is less conclusive than a perfect cadence.
- Imperfect Cadence: Moves from I to V, leaving the music feeling unfinished and prompting continuation.
- Deceptive Cadence: Moves from V to vi (or another chord instead of I), creating a surprising or unresolved effect.
Open and Closed Cadences
- Closed Cadence: Must be a perfect cadence (V to I) in the main key, with the tonic note on both the top and bottom voices.
- Open Cadence: Any cadence not meeting the closed cadence criteria, often leaving a sense of openness or continuation.
Voice Leading in Cadences
- Perfect cadences are voiced for smooth transitions between chords.
- Plagal and imperfect cadences can be voiced similarly, with possible variations for different effects.
- Deceptive cadences often move unexpectedly to create tension or surprise.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Cadence — A progression of chords that ends a phrase or section in music.
- Perfect Cadence (Authentic) — V (or V7) to I; sounds final and resolved.
- Plagal Cadence — IV to I; gentle closure, often called the "Amen" cadence.
- Imperfect Cadence (Half) — Any chord to V (commonly I to V); sounds unfinished.
- Deceptive Cadence — V to vi (or other than I); creates a twist by avoiding expected resolution.
- Closed Cadence — A perfect cadence in the home key, tonic note on top and bottom.
- Open Cadence — Any cadence not meeting all closed cadence conditions.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Practice playing each type of cadence in different keys on the piano.
- Listen to recorded music and try to identify the types of cadences used.
- Review voice leading options for smooth chord transitions.