Cadential progressions

Certain chord progressions seem to express tonal function - some of the chords appear to be active and unstable and seek resolution, while other chords seem inherently passive, stable and resolved.

A cadential progression is one in which the tonal function of each of the chords involved is clearly audible, and which also resolves onto a chord of rest and resolution. This final chord gives a sense of closure and completion and it is known as the tonic triad.

For the tonal function of each of the chords to be apparent, each must be heard within the context of one of the eight tonal harmonic scales. For this to happen a cadence must be constructed with a minimum of three major or minor triads, or two chords when the first is either a dominant seventh or an augmented sixth.

Below I examine effective three triad and two chord cadences from each of the eight tonal harmonic scales.

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Three triad cadences

If we use only the major and minor triads - but not diminished and augmented triads or any four note chords - then any effective cadence must contain at least three chords.

These three chords can be named the antepenult (the first triad), the penult (the second triad) and the final (the last triad). The aim of any cadential progression is to set up a harmonic tension between the antepenult and the penult which is released by the final. The final, therefore, takes on a quality of resolution, completion and stability.

The table below lists progressions which function well as three-triad cadences. They are organised in rows according to the scale from which they are derived, with the more effective scales at the top, and the more effective cadences on the left.

This means that the more familiar cadences (such as ii - V - I and iv - V - i) are at the top left of the chart, while the more unusual and ambiguous ones are found towards the bottom of the chart.

All of the cadences are harmonised in four parts. I have kept all of the progressions in a similar register and they are all at the same tempo and volume, to enable comparison to be made between them. In some of the progressions the antepenult or penult has been placed in first inversion to improve the voice-leading. Please note that this selection is not, and probably never can be, complete.


IV - V - I ii - V - I V - ii - I V - IV - I iii - ii - I iii - IV - I Major
v - iv - i flatVII - iv - i flatVI - flatVII - i iv - flatVII - i flatVI - v - i iv - v - i Aeolian
iv - V - i V - iv - i flatVI - V - i V - flatVI - i - - Harmonic Minor
iv - V - I V - iv - I iii - iv - I - - - Harmonic Major
IV - V - i ii - V - i - - - - Ascending Melodic Minor
v - iv - I flatVII - iv - I - - - - Descending Melodic Major
iii - flatII - I - - - - - Double Harmonic Major
flatVI - vii - i - - - - - Double Harmonic Minor

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Two chord cadences

A cadence can also consist of just two chords - a penult and a final. For any two chord cadence to be definite and effective, the penult must be a dominant seventh, augmented sixth, diminished or augmented type of chord.

I will be considering only the dominant seventh and augmented sixth type chords here.

The table below lists effective two chord cadences. They are organised in rows according to the scale from which they are derived, with the more effective scales at the top, and the more effective cadences on the left.

All of the cadences are harmonised in four parts. I have kept all of the progressions in a similar register and they are all at the same tempo and volume, to enable comparison to be made between them. In some of the progressions the penult has been placed in first inversion to improve the voice-leading. Please note that this selection is not, and probably never can be, complete.


V7 - I - - - - - Major / Harmonic Major
flatVII7 - i - - - - - Aeolian
V7 - i - - - - - Harmonic Minor
flatVII7 - I - - - - - Descending Melodic Major
flatIIaug6 - I - - - - - Double Harmonic Major
flatIIaug6 - i IVaug6 - I VII7 - I I7 - i III7 - I flatV7 - i Extra-Scalic Cadences