Cadence
The full stop, comma and question mark of harmony
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A cadence is harmony's punctuation: it tells the ear "this sentence is over", "this is only a pause", or "this is still a question". The common types are the authentic cadence (dominant to tonic, a full stop), the half cadence (stopping on the dominant, a comma), the plagal cadence (subdominant to tonic, an exclamation) and the deceptive cadence (dominant to the sixth degree, an expected resolution denied).
A cadence is not merely "the last two chords": its weight comes from melody, rhythm, bass and context. The same V–I is a comma mid-phrase and a full stop only at the end.
Read deeper → Cadence
Sources
- 各类终止式的定义与功能，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Cadence"；本文为原创表述
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