Cadences
The word cadence comes from the Latin 'to fall'.
The definition according to Dictionary.com is :
1. Balanced, rhythmic flow, as of poetry or oratory.
2. The measure or beat of movement, as in dancing or marching.
3. a. A falling inflection of the voice, as at the end of a sentence.
3. b. General inflection or modulation of the voice.
4. Music. A progression of chords moving to a harmonic close, point of rest, or sense of resolution.
A cadence in music refers to the way a phrase, or musical sentence, comes to an end. For example, a singer often takes a breath between two lines of text, and the musical content that usually appears just before the pause would be described by a type of cadence. Cadences also happen at the end of full pieces - it is often possible to describe the nature of the final moments of a piece by looking at what happens at the end of the phrase that makes up the final musical sentence and the work as a whole.
Cadences are defined both harmonically and melodically - many factors contribute to the nature of a phrase ending, including rhythm, instrumental texture etc.
There are four main types of harmonic cadences :
Perfect = Phrase ending with chords V - I
This is a 'finishing' phrase that commonly ends full classical-style pieces.
Imperfect = Phrase ending with chord V
This is an unfinished cadence. The dominant chord suggests that there's more to come in the next phrase.
For this reason, the imperfect cadence often appears at the end of antecedent phrases.
Plagal = Phrase ending with chords IV - I
This is a less common ending cadence.
It is often referred to as the "Amen" cadence due to it's extensive usage at the end of hymns.
Interrupted = Phrase ending with chords V - ? (often VI)
The end of the phrase sounds like a perfect cadence is coming,
but the resolution to the tonic chord is interrupted by something else.
The roman numerals refer to the chordal triad relative to the home key. So, if the piece in question was in C Major, the triads would be as follows :
I = C Major
II = D Minor
III = E Minor
IV = F Major
V = G Major
VI = A Minor
VII = B Dim Minor
Therefore, a perfect cadence in C Major would give a phrase that ends with a G Major chord followed by a C Major Chord. Equally, in E Minor an imperfect cadence would end with a B Major chord.
The chords may be inverted but the tonics are nearly always in root position at the final cadence of a piece. At this juncture, the resolution of a perfect cadence is more strongly prepared by the addition of the 7th note of chord V, giving a scale degree 4 that wants to resolve downwards to scale degree 3.
In addition to the main harmony notes, passing notes are sometimes used to provide a link between them, especially when the gap is a major or minor 3rd. Because these passing notes are not part of the main harmony, they are referred to as 'dissonant'. More passing notes can be used to bridge a larger gap or, in the case of chromatic passing notes, to add colour. Other features you may see among the main content of a cadence are :
Auxiliary Notes : Pass up or down from harmony and back again.
Changing Notes : As 'passing notes' but don't necessarily stop with harmony.
Anticipations : Notes that sound before the chord they belong to (and can be sustained or repeated.
Appoggiatura : An out-of-sync passing note! This dissonance appears on the arrival of the harmony and drops or rises to a harmony note.
Pedal Points : A single pitch that is sustained over a number of harmonies, often in the bass part.
Suspensions : A note that was part of a previous harmony and is sustained resulting in an appogiatura in the new harmony.
One other thing to note about cadences is that if the last chord of a cadence falls on a weak beat in the bar (i.e. not the first beat, say, of a 3/4 bar) then this is referred to as a "Feminine Cadence".
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