Knowledge base
Music Theory and Composition
What Is a Musical Phrase and How Do Cadences Define Its Beginning and Ending?
Musical Phrases and Cadences: How Harmony Creates Musical StructureA melody can consist of a sequence of individual notes, but music becomes much more meaningful when those notes are organised into phrases.
… read moreHow Can Electronic Musicians Use Authentic, Plagal, Deceptive and Half Cadences in Ambient and Generative Music?
Using Musical Cadences in Electronic and Ambient Music: Controlling Tension and ResolutionCadences are traditionally associated with classical music and tonal harmony, but their… read more
What Are Plagal, Deceptive and Phrygian Cadences?
Chord Formulas and Musical Examples
Plagal, Deceptive and Phrygian Cadences: Three Alternative Ways to Shape Harmonic MovementNot every musical phrase needs to end with a conventional dominant-to-tonic resolution.
Tonal… read more
What Is the Difference Between Perfect Authentic, Imperfect Authentic and Half Cadences?
Authentic Cadences and Half Cadences: Understanding Harmonic Closure and SuspensionOne of the most important distinctions in tonal harmony is the difference between a musical phrase that feels complete… read more
What Are the Six Main Types of Musical Cadences?
Perfect, Imperfect, Half, Plagal, Deceptive and Phrygian
The Six Main Types of Musical Cadences: A Guide to Harmonic EndingsA musical cadence is much more than a sequence of two chords. It is one of the fundamental ways in which… read more
What Do Roman Numerals Mean in Music Theory?
Understanding Chord Degrees and Seventh Chords
Roman Numeral Chord Notation: Understanding I, IV, V, ii and viWhen studying harmony, you will frequently encounter Roman numerals such as I, IV, V, ii and vi.
These symbols… read more
How Do Dominant Seventh Chords Work in Authentic, Half and Deceptive Cadences?
Seventh Chords in Cadences: Creating Harmonic Tension and ResolutionSeventh chords are particularly important when studying musical cadences. They introduce additional harmonic tension and can make the movement… read more
What Are the Seven Diatonic Seventh Chords in a Major Scale?
Examples in C Major and D Major
Diatonic Seventh Chords: Building Chords Within a Major ScaleUnderstanding individual seventh chord types is only the beginning. The next step is learning how these chords occur… read more
What Are Seventh Chords?
How to Build Major, Minor, Dominant and Half-Diminished Seventh Chords
Understanding Seventh Chords: Structure, Types and Harmonic FunctionSeventh chords are among the most important building blocks of modern harmony. They extend the familiar three-note… read more
What is a musical cadence, and how do tonic, subdominant and dominant chords create a sense of harmonic movement?
Cadences and Chord Progressions for Electronic MusiciansA chord progression gives music a sense of direction. Some progressions feel as though they are moving away from a point… read more