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Chord progressions and cadences: what the ear expects.
A chord progression tells a small story: it leaves, hesitates, arrives. Cadences are the ways of arriving, or of not arriving. Here are the main ones in C major, the progressions you meet most often, and things to try at the piano.
Try this first
At the pianoTwo chords and an arrival: this is the perfect cadence. Play them, then read on to understand what you just heard.
The four cadences to know
A cadence is the end of a musical phrase, like punctuation. You recognise it by ear before you can name it. All the examples are in C major.
- The perfect cadence: G → C (V → I). The full stop. The B in the G chord wants to rise to C: when C arrives, you hear a clear rest.
- The plagal cadence: F → C (IV → I). An arrival that is generally gentler than the perfect cadence. You hear it in many hymn-style “amens”.
- The half cadence: … → G (… → V). You stop on G and the phrase stays open. A comma, or a question waiting for its answer.
- The deceptive cadence: G → A minor (V → vi). The ear expects C, and A minor arrives instead. A small surprise that extends the phrase.
You don't need to memorise them as a list. Play them one after the other: the difference in effect is immediate, and that is what to keep.
Five progressions you meet everywhere
A progression is a sequence of chords that you repeat or vary. Roman numerals show each chord's place in the key: they let you play the same sequence in any key.
I – V – vi – IV · C – G – A minor – F
The loop you hear in a very large number of pop songs. It sets off, builds tension, darkens, then softens, and the return to C makes you want to start again.
vi – IV – I – V · A minor – F – C – G
The same four chords, but starting on A minor. The piece takes on a darker, more wistful colour. A good example of what a simple change of starting point can do.
I – vi – IV – V · C – A minor – F – G
Often associated with songs of the 1950s. It ends on G, so on a half cadence: it naturally calls for the return to C.
I – IV – V · C – F – G
Three chords, three functions: rest, departure, tension. It is the basis of blues, rock and many simple songs. In the blues, these chords are often played as dominant sevenths (C 7, F 7, G 7).
ii – V – I · D minor – G – C
The basic cadence of jazz. D minor prepares G, G pulls towards C. It is often heard with sevenths (D minor 7, G 7, C major 7), which soften and enrich it.
Why it works
Almost everything rests on one idea: tension and resolution. Some chords make you want to go somewhere (G, for instance, towards C); others feel like arriving. A cadence organises these expectations: you satisfy them, delay them, or sidestep them.
This is also why Roman numerals are useful: they describe each chord's function, not just its name. Once you hear the function, you recognise the progression even in a key you have never played.
Five ear exercises
Play first, then ask yourself what you felt.
- G, then C, then F, then C. Play each chord for four beats. Compare the arrival from G to C with the one from F to C: which sounds like an ending? Which is gentler?
- Stopping on G. Play C, F, G, and stop. The phrase hangs. Then play C: the suspension closes.
- The surprise. Play C, F, G, but instead of C, play A minor. What did you expect? What changes?
- The loop, twice. Play C, G, A minor, F in a loop. Then play it again starting on A minor. Say what changes in the mood.
- In another key. Replay the I – V – vi – IV loop in G: G, D, E minor, C. The numerals are the same, the notes are different.
What a rule doesn't tell you
These cadences are landmarks, not laws. Composers bend them all the time: a piece can end on a half cadence, string together chords that classical theory doesn't foresee, or stay on one chord for minutes. The aim is not to forbid, but to know what you are doing when you leave the expected path.
To place these chords relative to one another, read the circle of fifths explained by playing it.
Find them in HarmoLink
- Roman numerals on your grid. Each chord card shows its degree in the key, so you see the function at a glance (free version).
- The circle. Tap a chord: its neighbours light up and a sheet explains each relationship in one sentence (free version).
- The dictionary. A “Cadences” category explains about a dozen of them, with their effect (free version).
- Dominos. Complete chord progressions in the style you choose, with the reason for each chord (Pro, 7-day free trial).
Who is writing this
A teacher first, then a tool.
I'm Jonathan Marion, a piano teacher, pianist, composer and arranger at Studio Angelus in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. I built HarmoLink to make harmony visible, starting from what I do in my lessons.
My teaching approach ↗ jonathan-marion.fr ↗ Who is behind HarmoLink
Your next song starts with one chord.
Open HarmoLink, tap the circle, listen, and let your ear lead the way.