How do I identify cadences by ear and on the page and notate a harmonic progression accurately in the aural and theory paper?
Recognise, label and notate cadences and harmonic progressions aurally and visually as part of music literacy
A focused answer to the WACE Year 12 Music literacy requirement on cadences and harmonic dictation. Covers the four cadence types, how to hear and label them, a method for harmonic dictation using bass and chord function, and how to write Roman numerals reliably.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
What this dot point is asking
SCSA wants you to label cadences correctly by ear and on the page, and to write down a heard progression. These skills connect harmony, analysis and composition, so a dependable listening method matters more than guesswork.
The four cadences
Cadences are defined by their last two chords:
- Perfect (authentic): V to I. Sounds finished and conclusive, like a full stop.
- Imperfect (half): any chord to V. Sounds unfinished and open, like a comma, because it rests on the dominant.
- Plagal: IV to I. The amen cadence, gentler and less driven than the perfect.
- Interrupted (deceptive): V to vi. Sets up a perfect cadence then swerves to the relative minor chord, sounding surprised.
The first decision is always whether the phrase sounds finished (perfect or plagal) or unfinished (imperfect), then which of the pair it is.
Hearing harmony by function
Most tonal harmony groups into three functions:
- Tonic function (I, vi): the home, point of rest.
- Subdominant function (IV, ii): moving away, preparing.
- Dominant function (V, vii diminished): tension that wants to resolve home.
Hearing function first, before exact chord, narrows the options. A chord that wants to resolve is dominant; a stable resting chord is tonic; a chord that sets up the dominant is subdominant.
A method for harmonic dictation
- Find the key and tonic chord first, so every chord can be measured against home.
- Sing or track the bass line. The bass note is the strongest clue to the chord and its inversion.
- Decide each chord's function (tonic, subdominant, dominant) before naming the exact chord.
- Listen for inversions: a root-position chord feels grounded; a first inversion (bass is the third) feels lighter; a second inversion is often a passing or cadential chord before V.
- Confirm the cadence at the end, which usually fixes the last two chords for you.
Writing Roman numerals cleanly
Use upper case for major chords (I, IV, V), lower case for minor (ii, iii, vi), and add a small circle for diminished (vii). Show inversions with figures: 6 for first inversion, 6 4 for second inversion, and 7 for a seventh chord. Be consistent with the system your school uses, because mixing chord symbols and Roman numerals in one answer loses clarity and marks.
Why this matters for the exam
Cadence and harmony questions test whether you understand how tonal music breathes in phrases. The student who hears function and tracks the bass writes faster and more accurately than one who tries to name every note. This same skill underpins harmonising a melody in the composition section.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SCSA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WACE 20226 marksThe recording of a four-chord progression in G major will be played three times. Notate the chords as Roman numerals and name the cadence formed by the final two chords.Show worked answer →
Establish G major and its tonic chord first so each chord is measured against home.
Track the bass across the three playings. Suppose the bass moves G, E, D, G. Functions: tonic, tonic-substitute (vi), dominant, tonic, giving I, vi, V, I.
The final two chords are V to I and the phrase sounds conclusive, so the cadence is perfect (authentic).
Markers award marks chord by chord, so even with one error the rest can score. The cadence name is a separate mark: V to I is perfect, never call it plagal.
A frequent slip is hearing vi (E minor) as I and writing I, I, V, I. Listen for the minor colour on the second chord: vi is darker than the tonic.
WACE 20195 marksDefine an interrupted cadence and explain, with reference to chord function, why it sounds surprising. Contrast it with an imperfect cadence.Show worked answer →
An interrupted (deceptive) cadence is V to vi: the dominant sets up the listener to expect resolution to the tonic (I), but the music swerves to the submediant (vi) instead.
The surprise comes from function: V has strong dominant pull toward I, so substituting vi (a tonic-function chord but the relative minor) both partly satisfies and frustrates the expectation, sounding unresolved and unexpected.
Contrast: an imperfect (half) cadence ends on V itself (for example I to V or IV to V). It sounds open and hanging because it stops on the dominant tension rather than resolving.
The clean distinction examiners want: interrupted resolves V somewhere unexpected (vi); imperfect does not resolve V at all, it ends on it. Naming the final chord settles which is which.