Chapter VII

Cadences, Progressions and Acoustic Flow

Anatomy of classical resolutions and the mother cell of functional harmony

10.1 Anatomy of Classical Resolutions: Perfect, Imperfect and Plagal Cadences

If chords are words, cadences are the punctuation of the musical text. They tell us whether a phrase has ended, whether there is a pause to breathe, or whether we have been fooled by a false resolution.

10.2 The II – V – I Progression (Major and Minor) as the Mother Cell of Functional Harmony

The II – V – I cycle is the most important gear of tonal harmony, dominant in jazz, in bossa nova and in high-level Brazilian popular music (MPB).