plagal cadence

9.9

A chord change from the fourth chord to the main chord that ends church songs

noun
/ˈpleɪgəl ˈkeɪdəns/

Specialized

: cadencia plagal

The final hymn concluded with a plagal cadence that created a sense of solemnity.

Examples

Many traditional church songs end on a plagal cadence, sometimes called the 'Amen cadence'.
A plagal cadence moves from the subdominant to the tonic, distinguishing it from other cadences.
The choir ended the hymn with a plagal cadence.
Many church compositions utilize a plagal cadence.
The hymn concluded with a beautiful plagal cadence, leaving the congregation in a peaceful silence.
During the rehearsal, the choir practiced the plagal cadence to ensure a smooth transition at the end of the performance.
In many traditional church songs, the plagal cadence is often used to signify the end of the musical piece.

Synonyms

cadence

vsplagal cadence

Specialized

1 6.8

A sequence of chords that ends a musical phrase

is this specific type that moves from subdominant to tonic

amen cadence

vsplagal cadence

Specialized

9.9

A musical ending in church music where singers finish by singing Amen

is the same pattern but used across church music generally

Surface Forms

plagal cadence singular

plagal cadences plural

Morphology

plagal + cadence

Although 'cadence' is a compositional musical term a B1 learner might know, 'plagal' is a low-frequency, technical adjective with no transparent meaning derivable from common English morphology; the specific sense (subdominant→tonic 'Amen' ending) is specialized and not inferable from the parts. Because the headword 'plagal' is not semantically transparent to general learners, the overall MWE meaning cannot be predicted without prior musical knowledge.

Etymology

Plagal cadence is often called the 'Amen cadence' because church choirs would sing 'Amen' while the music moves from the gentle subdominant chord to the final tonic chord. That's why a plagal cadence sounds like a quiet, closing ending in hymns.