Loading…
Loading…
A harmonic formula that ends a phrase, section, or piece. The musical equivalent of punctuation.
Cadences are your most powerful structural tool. Perfect authentic cadence (V–I, root position, melody on tonic) = period/full stop. Half cadence (ending on V) = comma. Deceptive cadence (V–vi) = unexpected turn. Plan cadences carefully — they define phrase structure and control the listener's sense of arrival.
Mozart's cadences are textbook: clear half cadences at phrase midpoints, perfect authentic cadences at phrase endings, and deceptive cadences for dramatic surprise.
Cadence is one of 228 terms in the Gradus musical dictionary, where every definition is written around how composers actually use the word.
Browse the full dictionary →