Cadence

Cadence, musical formula that conveys a feeling of repose at the end of a phrase or a composition. Such formulas not only sound complete in a purely musical sense but also, because of their familiarity, lead the listener to expect a temporary or permanent stopping point. In Western music from the beginnings of multipart music (polyphony), certain chord sequences became standard at cadences. These sequences slowly became modified as musical styles changed. With the evolution of traditional tonal harmony (early 18th century), cadential formulas that are still recognized became common. The most widely used formula, called an authentic cadence, is a V-I progression, that is, a dominant chord (one built on the fifth note of the scale) followed by a tonic chord (one built on the first note, that is, the tonic or key note). A cadence that moves from the subdominant chord (built on the fourth note of the scale) to the tonic, that is, IV-I, as in the "Amen" cadence at the end of hymns, is called a plagal cadence. Many other kinds of cadential progressions exist as well. Their diversity allows composers to create different degrees of repose, from slight pauses at the end of a phrase to complete cessation of motion at the end of a piece. See also Harmony.

In music consisting of unharmonized melody, such as plainchant or folk song, certain turns of melody may signal a cadence. Rhythm or the recurrence of certain instruments may also indicate a cadence, especially in some non-Western and 20th-century music.



Back to Theory Page | HOME | Explore Yahoo! GeoCities | Explore My Neighborhood

Encarta® Encyclopedia 99. © 1993-1998. All rights reserved.