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The University High School Band
The History and Theory of Music

Cadences

The end of a musical phrase is called a cadence. Harmonically, there are four common types of cadence.

An authentic cadence goes from V → I. This creates a sense of finality and completion.

A half cadence ends the phrase on V, creating a sense of incompletion and the expectation that the phrase will continue. It is commonly found at the end of the first half of a phrase, called an antecedent phrase, which is then be followed by a parallel consequent phrase that ends on an authentic cadence.

A deceptive cadence begins like an authentic cadence but goes from V → vi, creating a sense of unexpected incompletion.

A plagal cadence goes from IV → I and is commonly referred to as an "Amen" cadence due to its common use on this word at the end of hymns and chorales.