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Hey music makers!
A student asked me a question during our last coaching call that I've been hearing variations of for years.
"Some progressions feel complete," she said. "Others feel unfinished. Why?"
It's an interesting tension: we can all hear the difference between a progression that sounds resolved versus one that leaves us hanging. But explaining why that happens and more importantly, how to control it intentionally is where folks seem to get stuck.
I hear this often from self-taught music makers who've been studying chord progressions for months or even years. They can play chords on their instrument. They know the Roman numeral system. But they're still not sure how to intentionally create that sense of finality or momentum they hear in their favorite songs.
But this goes beyond just knowing cadence types. The real confusion comes from understanding what actually makes a cadence work because it's not just about the chords themselves.
Let's talk about what I discovered while analyzing songs for my Harmony GPS course.
📻 REAL SONGS. REAL PROGRESSIONS
💿 "Lucy" by Mt. Joy
Key: F Major
Verse and Chorus: Dm → C → F
vi → V → I
Pre-Chorus: Dm → C → B♭ → F
vi → V → IV → I
Mt. Joy uses perfect cadences (V → I) in both verse and chorus to create clear resolution, and switch to a plagal cadence (IV → I) in the pre-chorus for a softer, landing that creates breathing room before building momentum back into the chorus.
Compare this to "All of Me" from last week's issue, where John Legend takes the opposite approach: half cadences completing every harmonic phrase and section, to created constant forward pull instead of resolution. Read the full breakdown here →
🧠 IDEA OF THE WEEK
WHAT ACTUALLY MAKES A CADENCE
Most of us learned cadences as formulas. V to I = perfect. IV to I = plagal. Ends on V = half. Memorize them, identify them, done. But that's incomplete
Cadences Are Positional, Not Just Progressional
A cadence isn't determined by the chords alone. It's determined by where those chords land in your phrase.
Here's the scenario that used to trip me up:
A verse ends on V. The chorus begins on I. Does that create a perfect cadence between sections?
No. And here's why.
When V ends one phrase and I begins the next, you have two separate musical events:
Phrase 1 ends: ...Dm | G ||
→ Half cadence (ending on V)
→ Sounds unfinished, building tension
Phrase 2 begins: || C | F...
→ New phrase starting on I
→ Fresh material, new beginning
They're not functioning together as a cadential gesture. They belong to different structural units.
The listener hears anticipation at the end of phrase one. Then a new beginning at the start of phrase two.
V → I at the end of a phrase? Perfect cadence.
V ending one section with a I starting the next creates a Half cadence followed by a new beginning.
The Four Main Types (And How to Use Them)
Now that we understand cadences as phrase-ending gestures, here are the four main types and what they do:
Perfect Cadence (V → I): The period. Creates the strongest sense of "we're home." The dominant chord's tension (especially with that unstable tritone) resolves completely to the tonic. Most definitive ending possible.
Plagal Cadence (IV → I): The "Amen" cadence. Softer, more reflective resolution than the perfect cadence.
Half Cadence (ending on V): The comma. Ends a phrase on the dominant chord, leaving things hanging and unresolved. End a verse on V to create that "unfinished" feeling that pulls listeners into the chorus.
Deceptive Cadence (V → vi): I call this the plot twist. You set up the expectation of resolving to I but lands on vi instead. You create surprise while maintaining some stability (since vi and I share two common tones). Use it when you want to extend a phrase or delay final resolution.
With this in mind you have more control over when your music takes a breath, asks a question, or finally comes home.
🎯 CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK
Hear the Difference Between Finished and Unfinished
Play (or program) a simple 4-bar phrase in C major that ends on G: C → F → Dm → G
Listen carefully. Does it sound finished or unfinished?
Now play the exact same phrase but end on C instead: C → F → Dm → G → C
Bonus: Use both together in a song section.
Example [ Phrases A → B or B → A ] → Next section.
Notice how the half cadence (ending on G) creates natural momentum into the next phrase, while the perfect cadence (ending on C) feels more self-contained and complete.
Be sure to document your findings.
My student got it.
"So it's not just about the chords," she said. "It's about where they land in the phrase." Exactly.
Before our call, she saw cadences as patterns to identify.
Afterwards she saw them as decisions to make.
Where should this phrase end? Do I want resolution or tension? Should this feel finished or pull forward?
