Cadences - The 4 types explained - Perfect, Plagal, Imperfect, Interrupted

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In this video on music cadences we look at the 4 different types of cadence and how they are used in music.

For more information and a free downloadable wall chart on cadences visit https://www.musictheoryacademy.com/how-to-read-sheet-music/cadences/

A cadence is a 2 chord progression that is used at the end of a musical phrase. There are 4 cadences - Perfect (or Authentic), Plagal, Imperfect (or Half) and Interrupted (or Deceptive) which can sound "finished" or "unfinished".

The perfect cadence is also known as the authentic cadence. It is a progression from chord V to chord I. For example, in C major the progression would be from a G chord to a C chord.
The plagal cadence is from chord IV to chord I - in C major this would be an F chord followed by a C chord.

The imperfect cadence or half cadence is a progression that ends on chord V. It can start on either chord I, II or IV. In C major, the progression could move from chord II (Dm) to chord V (G).
The interrupted cadence of deceptive cadence is a wonderful cadence as it adds an element of surprise into a piece of music. The progression is from chord V to chord VI. The listener thinks that the music is going to return to chord I, but instead they are taken to the "surprising" sound of chord VI.

Cadences are marked on sheet music with a horizontal line between the 2 chords.

Cadences are a really important part of composing as they help to define the end of musical phrases. If you are wanting your phrase to sound finished then use either the perfect (authentic) or plagal cadence. If, on the other hand you would like your music to sound unfinished then choose either the imperfect (half) cadence or interrupted (deceptive) cadence instead.