The most common cadence in tonal music is the resolution of a dominant
chord to the tonic (V to I). Of all the cadence types this one usually
sounds the most complete and satisfying. This cadence can be found in
both major and minor settings.
This cadence sounds the most complete and final when the tonic is in
both the top and bottom voice on the final tonic chord. It can sound a
little less stable when the top voice has the 3rd or 5th of the chord.
Half Cadence
The next most often cadence in Bach Chorales ends on the dominant chord.
The progression is usually I to V but the final dominant chord can also
be preceded by a subdominant chord like IV or ii6. This cadence creates
an unstable feeling and suggests the need for a responding musical phrase
that will cadence in the tonic.
Like its name, this cadence tends to surprise the listener with an unexpected
move to some chord other than the expected tonic like vi or IV6. The cadence
lines up like an authentic cadence with the dominant but rather than resolving
to the tonic it moves to a related chord, usually vi.
This cadence is seldom found in Bach Chorales but occurs often enough
to be of concern. It concludes on the tonic like an authentic cadence
but instead of the dominant the subdominant is used (IV to I). This cadence
has that familiar ending, often heard at the end of church hymns, the AMEN
cadence.
This cadence appears most often at the very end of a chorale. It is often called a "double appoggiatura" because the 6/4 inversion of the tonic has two notes that resolve down to covert the chord into the dominant. The two chords: I6/4 and the dominant are heard as a single dominant chord because they share the same bass note.
Picardy Cadence
This cadence only appears in minor chorales and usually only at the very
end of the chorale. It is essentially an authentic cadence but instead
of ending on the minor tonic as would be expected, the final tonic chord
is made major. The result is quite dramatic. This cadence is most often
found in music from the Baroque period.
