Harmony
Cadence
- Definition
- A cadence is a chord movement, typically at the end of a phrase or section, that creates a feeling of pause, rest, or resolution.
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Songwriting stage
- writing
In practice
Cadences function like punctuation in harmony. A strong cadence, such as moving from the V chord to the I chord, gives a clear sense of arrival and closure, which is why it often appears at the end of a chorus. A weaker or unresolved cadence, such as ending on a chord other than the tonic, can create a feeling of suspension that pulls a listener into the next section.
Songwriters use different cadence strengths deliberately: a full, resolved cadence tells a listener a section is complete, while an open cadence keeps momentum going into a verse, bridge, or repeat of the chorus. Varying cadence strength across a song helps control where listeners feel settled versus where they feel pulled forward.
Example
A verse ends with a IV - V - I cadence that firmly resolves each time, while the bridge deliberately ends on a ii chord instead of the tonic, leaving the harmony unresolved so the final chorus feels like a release.