Music is built on patterns and resolutions, and cadences are at the heart of these resolutions. Whether you’re a budding songwriter or an established producer, understanding cadences is essential to making your compositions flow naturally and creating emotional impact. In this post, we’ll dive deep into the most common cadences every producer should know, how they can elevate your tracks, and how tools like Piano Companion can help you master them.

What is a Cadence in Music?

In music theory, a cadence is a sequence of chords that concludes a phrase, section, or piece of music. It can be compared to punctuation in a sentence — sometimes it offers finality (like a period), and other times it leaves things open-ended (like a comma or question mark). The type of cadence you choose can drastically affect the emotional feel of your music.

For a music producer, understanding cadences means having more control over how a song feels at crucial moments. Whether you’re aiming for a conclusive ending or a tense transition, knowing your cadences will enable you to produce tracks that feel polished and intentional.

Why Cadences Matter to Producers

As a producer, you already know that creating effective chord progressions is a huge part of producing a great track. But without the right cadence to wrap up or transition a musical phrase, even the best chord progression can fall flat. The cadence is where the resolution happens. It’s the final brushstroke that gives a phrase its meaning.

To help you get started, let’s explore the most common cadences used in music, and how you can practice and integrate them into your tracks using the Piano Companion app.

1. Perfect Cadence (Authentic Cadence)

The perfect cadence, also known as the authentic cadence, is the most conclusive and satisfying of all cadences. It occurs when the dominant chord (V) resolves to the tonic chord (I). This cadence gives a sense of finality and is commonly used at the end of a piece or section to signal a definitive conclusion.

Why Producers Should Use It: If you’re looking to end a section or track on a high, resolved note, the perfect cadence is your go-to. It provides that clear, undeniable closure that listeners love.

How to Practice in Piano Companion: Using the Piano Companion app’s chord progression builder, try building chord sequences that end with a V-I progression in different keys. The app can play back the progression in loop mode so you can internalize the sound of the perfect cadence in various contexts.

2. Plagal Cadence

The plagal cadence occurs when the subdominant chord (IV) resolves to the tonic chord (I). This cadence is often referred to as the “Amen” cadence because it is frequently used at the end of hymns. While it doesn’t have the same level of finality as the perfect cadence, it still offers a sense of resolution but with a softer, less forceful sound.

Why Producers Should Use It: The plagal cadence is great for creating a sense of conclusion without the dramatic effect of a perfect cadence. If you’re working on a track that needs to wind down gently, this is the cadence to use.

How to Practice in Piano Companion: Set up a IV-I progression using the Piano Companion’s chord library. Experiment with different inversions to see how it affects the feel of the cadence. The reverse mode in the app can help you explore various ways to voice these chords using your MIDI keyboard.

3. Imperfect Cadence (Half Cadence)

The imperfect cadence, also called the half cadence, is an unfinished-sounding cadence that ends on the dominant chord (V). It leaves the listener expecting more and is often used in the middle of a phrase or section to create tension and anticipation.

Why Producers Should Use It: If you want to keep your listener on edge, the imperfect cadence is perfect for adding suspense. It’s great for building tension before launching into the next part of your track.

How to Practice in Piano Companion: Use the Piano Companion to explore V chords in different scales and practice resolving into them. The chord progression builder allows you to construct longer sequences that end with an imperfect cadence, helping you understand how to use this tension-building tool effectively.

4. Deceptive Cadence

The deceptive cadence occurs when the dominant chord (V) resolves to a chord other than the tonic, typically the submediant chord (vi in a major key). This cadence surprises the listener because it subverts the expectation of a resolution back to the tonic chord.

Why Producers Should Use It: The deceptive cadence is a powerful tool for keeping your listeners on their toes. If you want to avoid predictability and add an element of surprise to your chord progressions, this is the cadence to use.

How to Practice in Piano Companion: Build a deceptive cadence by resolving a V chord to a vi chord in the Piano Companion app. Use the arpeggio feature to hear how this cadence sounds broken up and then as a full chord.

5. Phrygian Cadence

The Phrygian cadence is a type of half cadence that occurs in minor keys. It happens when the subdominant chord (iv) resolves to the dominant chord (V). This cadence is commonly used in classical and Spanish music, giving it an exotic, unresolved feel.

Why Producers Should Use It: If you’re producing tracks with darker or more complex emotional tones, the Phrygian cadence can add a unique flair to your music. It offers a sense of tension and an air of mystery.

How to Practice in Piano Companion: In the Piano Companion app, practice resolving from the iv to the V chord in minor scales. Experiment with different keys using the Circle of Fifths feature to see how this cadence feels across the board.

How to Incorporate Cadences in Your Productions

Now that you have a solid understanding of the most common cadences, how do you go about using them effectively in your music? Here are a few tips:

• Experiment with Progressions: Don’t limit yourself to just one type of cadence in a track. Mix and match cadences within different sections of your song to create dynamic shifts.
• Use Cadences for Transitions: Cadences are great for transitioning between verses, choruses, and bridges. They can smooth over changes in mood and key.
• Loop and Practice: Use the Piano Companion’s loop function to practice cadences in various keys and progressions. Hearing them repeatedly will help you internalize the sound and use them more effectively in your tracks.

Conclusion: Elevate Your Music with Cadences

Cadences are a crucial element of music theory that every producer should know. Whether you’re aiming for resolution or tension, cadences give your music the structure and emotional impact it needs to resonate with listeners. With the help of tools like the <