Cadences: Read the Chords Before Naming the Ending

Cadences: read the chords before naming the ending

A cadence is an arrival or pause at the end of a phrase. To name it from notation, inspect the harmony as well as the melody. A tune finishing on the tonic does not, by itself, show that the preceding chord was V or that the final chord was I. The missing chord evidence matters.

This lesson uses the common British terms perfect for a V–I phrase ending and imperfect for a phrase ending on V. The corresponding broad US terms are authentic and half cadence. US “imperfect authentic cadence” is a subtype of V–I ending; it is not the British imperfect cadence. State which terminology you are using before comparing labels.

1. Read each reduction as simultaneous pitches

The original examples show two-bar phrase endings in 2/4. Each melody staff is paired with a separate bass-clef chord reduction. The chord notes stacked above one another sound together for a minim, or half note, filling one whole two-beat bar. The lowest listed pitch is the bass. These reductions supply complete triads but are not four-part voice-leading exercises.

Pitch names use C4 for middle C. First read the named key and signature. Then rearrange each chord’s pitch classes into thirds to identify its root, third and fifth. Finally compare the roots with the key’s scale degrees. Roman numeral I denotes the major tonic triad and V the major dominant triad in the major keys used here.

Chord spellings for the three keys
Key I: root, third, fifth V: root, third, fifth
C major C, E, G G, B, D
G major G, B, D D, F sharp, A
F major F, A, C C, E, G

2. Worked case: an arrival in C major

C major: arrival on tonic — melody Original 2/4 score in treble clef. Full pitch, duration, accidental, rest and repeat details follow in the native text table. C major: arrival on tonic — melody 2 4 Bar 1 Bar 2
Original score: C major: arrival on tonic — melody.
Complete pitch-duration equivalent. 2/4; treble clef; key signature: no sharps or flats. No repeat signs. No ties or slurs are indicated. All pitches are written at sounding pitch.
Bar Events in written order Total crotchet beats Bar check
1 D5 crotchet (1 crotchet beat); B4 crotchet (1 crotchet beat) 2 Complete bar
2 C5 minim (2 crotchet beats) 2 Complete bar
C major: arrival on tonic — chord reduction Original 2/4 score in bass clef. Full pitch, duration, accidental, rest and repeat details follow in the native text table. C major: arrival on tonic — chord reduction 2 4 Bar 1 Bar 2
Original score: C major: arrival on tonic — chord reduction.
Complete pitch-duration equivalent. 2/4; bass clef; key signature: no sharps or flats. No repeat signs. No ties or slurs are indicated. All pitches are written at sounding pitch.
Bar Events in written order Total crotchet beats Bar check
1 G2 + B3 + D4 together minim (2 crotchet beats) 2 Complete bar
2 C3 + E4 + G4 together minim (2 crotchet beats) 2 Complete bar

The first harmony contains G2, B3 and D4. Those pitch classes spell G major, the dominant chord of C major. The second contains C3, E4 and G4, spelling the tonic triad. Both chords have their roots in the bass. The supplied phrase ends with this change, so the harmonic evidence is V–I: a perfect cadence in the British convention, or an authentic cadence in US terminology.

The melody finishes on C5. Since the chords are root position and the highest final melodic part is tonic, this example also meets the usual US perfect-authentic conditions in this simplified reduction. The extra word “perfect” in that US subtype depends on details beyond the broad V–I progression. Do not apply it merely because the British broad label is perfect.

3. Worked case: a pause in G major

G major: phrase ends on dominant — melody Original 2/4 score in treble clef. Full pitch, duration, accidental, rest and repeat details follow in the native text table. G major: phrase ends on dominant — melody 2 4 Bar 1 Bar 2
Original score: G major: phrase ends on dominant — melody.
Complete pitch-duration equivalent. 2/4; treble clef; key signature: one sharp, F sharp in every octave. No repeat signs. No ties or slurs are indicated. All pitches are written at sounding pitch.
Bar Events in written order Total crotchet beats Bar check
1 B4 crotchet (1 crotchet beat); G4 crotchet (1 crotchet beat) 2 Complete bar
2 A4 minim (2 crotchet beats) 2 Complete bar
G major: phrase ends on dominant — chord reduction Original 2/4 score in bass clef. Full pitch, duration, accidental, rest and repeat details follow in the native text table. G major: phrase ends on dominant — chord reduction 2 4 Bar 1 Bar 2
Original score: G major: phrase ends on dominant — chord reduction.
Complete pitch-duration equivalent. 2/4; bass clef; key signature: one sharp, F sharp in every octave. No repeat signs. No ties or slurs are indicated. All pitches are written at sounding pitch.
Bar Events in written order Total crotchet beats Bar check
1 G2 + B3 + D4 together minim (2 crotchet beats) 2 Complete bar
2 D3 + F sharp 3 + A3 together minim (2 crotchet beats) 2 Complete bar

The first chord is G2–B3–D4: I in G major. The second is D3–F sharp 3–A3: V. F sharp comes from the one-sharp key signature. The ending therefore stops on the dominant, I–V. It is an imperfect cadence in British usage and a half cadence in US usage. The melody’s final A4 is a member of the dominant triad, but the chord supplies the decisive evidence.

Compare this with the C-major case. Its last chord was tonic; this last chord is dominant. That difference is more important than whether the final melody note is high or low. Both phrases finish with a minim and a final barline. Those visual signs mark an ending, but they cannot identify its harmonic type without the chord pitches.

4. Worked case: the same relationship in F major

F major: arrival on tonic — melody Original 2/4 score in treble clef. Full pitch, duration, accidental, rest and repeat details follow in the native text table. F major: arrival on tonic — melody 2 4 Bar 1 Bar 2
Original score: F major: arrival on tonic — melody.
Complete pitch-duration equivalent. 2/4; treble clef; key signature: one flat, B flat in every octave. No repeat signs. No ties or slurs are indicated. All pitches are written at sounding pitch.
Bar Events in written order Total crotchet beats Bar check
1 G4 crotchet (1 crotchet beat); E4 crotchet (1 crotchet beat) 2 Complete bar
2 F4 minim (2 crotchet beats) 2 Complete bar
F major: arrival on tonic — chord reduction Original 2/4 score in bass clef. Full pitch, duration, accidental, rest and repeat details follow in the native text table. F major: arrival on tonic — chord reduction 2 4 Bar 1 Bar 2
Original score: F major: arrival on tonic — chord reduction.
Complete pitch-duration equivalent. 2/4; bass clef; key signature: one flat, B flat in every octave. No repeat signs. No ties or slurs are indicated. All pitches are written at sounding pitch.
Bar Events in written order Total crotchet beats Bar check
1 C3 + E4 + G4 together minim (2 crotchet beats) 2 Complete bar
2 F2 + A3 + C4 together minim (2 crotchet beats) 2 Complete bar

The first harmony C3–E4–G4 is V in F major. The second F2–A3–C4 is I. The resulting V–I ending is again British perfect, broadly US authentic. The one-flat signature belongs to F major, even though neither of these two triads contains B flat. A key signature can matter to the surrounding key while its altered note is absent from a particular chord.

Compare the two arrivals by function rather than by copying absolute note names. G major resolves to C major in the first case; C major resolves to F major here. The roots differ, yet both are dominant-to-tonic in their stated keys. The bass notes confirm root position, while the final melodic F4 supports the tonic arrival.

5. Counterexample: an ending without chord evidence

Melody-only evidence: harmony absent Original 2/4 score in treble clef. Full pitch, duration, accidental, rest and repeat details follow in the native text table. Melody-only evidence: harmony absent 2 4 Bar 1 Bar 2
Original score: Melody-only evidence: harmony absent.
Complete pitch-duration equivalent. 2/4; treble clef; key signature: no sharps or flats. No repeat signs. No ties or slurs are indicated. All pitches are written at sounding pitch.
Bar Events in written order Total crotchet beats Bar check
1 D4 crotchet (1 crotchet beat); B3 crotchet (1 crotchet beat) 2 Complete bar
2 C4 minim (2 crotchet beats) 2 Complete bar

This melody has D4 crotchet, B3 crotchet and then C4 minim. A reader might call it a perfect cadence because the final pitch is C. That goes beyond the supplied evidence. No bass or harmony is shown. C could belong to a C-major chord, an A-minor chord or another context, and the preceding notes do not identify one unique harmonic progression.

A sound answer is: “The melody settles on C, but the cadence type cannot be established without the harmony and key context.” If the task later supplies G–B–D followed by C–E–G in C major at the phrase ending, V–I becomes justified. If it supplies different harmonies, the analysis must change rather than retaining the first guess.

6. Check inversion without confusing root and bass

The root names the chord; the bass is its lowest sounding note. A C-major chord with E as its lowest note is still a C-major chord, now in first inversion. Root position is relevant when refining an authentic cadence into a US perfect-authentic or imperfect-authentic subtype. Do not rename the chord as E minor merely because E is in the bass.

For this lesson’s broad comparison, the main distinction remains an ending that moves V–I versus one that ends on V. If a question asks for a more detailed cadence label, inspect bass position and the final melody as additional evidence and follow its stated terminology. Avoid mixing labels from two systems halfway through an answer.

7. Three fresh tasks, with solutions

  1. At a phrase ending in C major, the two chords are C3–E3–G3 then G2–B2–D3, each a minim in 2/4. Name the ending. Answer: I–V, British imperfect or US half cadence. The final chord is dominant, not tonic.

  2. At a phrase ending in G major, D3–F sharp 3–A3 is followed by G2–B2–D3, each a minim. What is established? Answer: V–I, British perfect or broadly US authentic. Without a specified final upper melody, do not claim the US perfect-authentic subtype.

  3. A student writes “British imperfect means an imperfect authentic V–I cadence.” Repair the sentence. Answer: British imperfect means a phrase ending on V, equivalent to US half cadence. US imperfect authentic is a V–I subtype with different conditions from US perfect authentic.

Frequently asked questions

What does perfect cadence mean in this lesson?

It uses the common British broad label for a V–I phrase ending. The broad US equivalent is authentic cadence.

What does British imperfect cadence mean?

It means a phrase ending on V. Its US equivalent is half cadence, not imperfect authentic cadence.

What is a US imperfect authentic cadence?

It is a V–I ending that does not meet the relevant perfect-authentic conditions, such as root-position harmony and tonic in the final upper part. It still arrives on I.

Can the final melody note identify a cadence alone?

No. The same note can fit different chords. The key and actual harmonic progression are needed to establish the cadence type.

Is the bass always the root?

No. They coincide in root position. In an inversion, another chord member is the bass while the chord's root remains unchanged.

Is every V–I change automatically a cadence?

No. A cadence is a phrase-ending event. The same chord change can occur inside a phrase without functioning as its ending.

Why are the chords shown separately?

The reduction makes the simultaneous chord pitches and bass explicit. It supports harmonic identification without claiming a complete four-part arrangement or a recorded performance.

Reference notes

Terminology follows common-practice Western notation. These sources support the definitions; the scores, questions and solutions above are independently composed.