Cadences

A cadence is the pair of chords that ends a musical phrase, like punctuation at the end of a sentence. V to I is an authentic cadence, a full stop. Ending on V is a half cadence, a comma. IV to I is a plagal cadence, the “Amen.” And V to vi is a deceptive cadence, a surprise.

By Dan Vrancic, music theory teacher · Reviewed October 2026

What is a cadence?

Music is built from phrases, like sentences in speech. The cadence is the last two chords of a phrase: its punctuation. Some cadences sound like a period, some like a comma, and one like a surprise.

A phrase in C major. The cadence is the closing pair, V–I. Soprano blue, alto teal, tenor violet, bass gold.

Each chord is named with a Roman numeral for the degree of the key its root sits on: I for the tonic, IV for the subdominant, V for the dominant, vi for the submediant. Upper case means a major chord, lower case a minor one.

The types of cadence

CadenceChordsEnds onSound
Perfect authenticV → I (V → i)IStrongest finish: roots in the bass, tonic on top
Imperfect authenticV → I (V → i)IFinished, but the top note is not the tonic or a chord is inverted
HalfIV → V or I → VVUnfinished, like a comma
DeceptiveV → vi (V → VI in minor)viA surprise: home was expected
PlagalIV → I (iv → i)IA gentle “Amen”
Phrygian halfiv6 → V, in minorVOpen and dark: the bass falls a semitone

Authentic cadence: V–I

An authentic cadence moves from V to I (V to i in a minor key). It is a perfect authentic cadence when both chords have their root in the bass and the top note of the last chord is the tonic. The leading tone also rises a semitone to the tonic. This is the strongest ending in music.

C major: V–I, both roots in the bass, C on top. The soprano's B rises to C.

If one condition is missing, because the top note is not the tonic or one chord is inverted, it is an imperfect authentic cadence. It still ends on the tonic, but it sounds less final.

C major: V–I with G on top, an imperfect authentic cadence.

Half cadence: ending on V

A half cadence ends on V. Like a comma, it sounds unfinished, and it usually closes the first half of a longer musical idea. The chord before V is often IV or I.

C major: IV–V. The phrase pauses on the dominant.

In a minor key, the Phrygian half cadence moves iv6 → V: the bass falls a semitone to the root of V.

A minor: iv6–V. The bass falls F → E; G♯ is the raised leading tone.

Deceptive cadence: V–vi

V makes us expect I. In a deceptive cadence it moves to vi instead (VI in minor). The leading tone still rises to the tonic, but the bass steps up to the 6th degree rather than leaping to the tonic.

Expected

V–I

Deceptive

V–vi

Only the bass changes: A instead of C.

Plagal cadence: the “Amen” cadence

A plagal cadence moves IV → I (iv → i in minor). It reaches the tonic without V, so there is no leading tone and the ending is gentle. It is called the “Amen” cadence because hymns sing it on the final “A-men.”

C major: IV–I. Both chords share C, which stays in the same voice.

How to name a cadence

  1. Name the key

    Read the key signature and where the music settles.

  2. Label both chords

    Read each chord from its bass up, find its root's degree, and write the Roman numeral.

  3. Read the ending

    Ends on V: half (or Phrygian half, from iv6 in minor). V–vi: deceptive. IV–I: plagal. V–I: authentic.

  4. Check the details of V–I

    Both roots in the bass and the tonic on top: perfect. Otherwise: imperfect.

Try it: name the cadence

Cadence 1 of 6

In G major: which cadence is this?

See it step by step

The interactive explainer from Lesson 20, with sound. Step through it at your own pace.

Practice on paper

Free printable worksheets on this topic, each with an answer key.

Cadence worksheets with answer keys

Questions about cadences

What are the four main types of cadence?
Authentic (V–I), half (ending on V), plagal (IV–I) and deceptive (V–vi). Authentic cadences are divided into perfect and imperfect, and in minor keys there is also the Phrygian half cadence (iv6–V).
What is a perfect authentic cadence?
A V–I cadence with both chords in root position and the tonic as the top note of the final chord. It is the strongest, most final-sounding ending in music.
What is the difference between a perfect and an imperfect authentic cadence?
Both move V to I. An imperfect authentic cadence breaks one condition of the perfect one: the top note of the last chord isn’t the tonic, or one of the chords is inverted.
What is a half cadence?
A cadence that ends on V, the dominant chord, usually from IV or I. It sounds unfinished, like a comma, and often ends the first half of a longer idea.
What is a plagal cadence?
IV to I (iv to i in minor). It reaches the tonic without V, so it sounds gentle. It is called the “Amen” cadence because hymns often end with it on the word “Amen.”
What is a deceptive cadence?
V moving to vi instead of the expected I (V to VI in minor). The leading tone still rises to the tonic, but the bass steps up to the 6th degree, so the ear is surprised.
What is the difference between a cadence and a chord progression?
A chord progression is any sequence of chords. A cadence is the specific pair of chords at the end of a phrase, where the music pauses or stops.
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In the course: Lesson 20: Cadences