Home›Lesson Plans›The Arts›Music · Grade 10

Cadences

Tenth graders learn about cadences — the chord progressions that punctuate music — from the conclusive perfect cadence to the unfinished half cadence, the musical equivalents of periods and commas.

Grade 10Theory50 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain a cadence.
  • ✓Know perfect & half.
  • ✓Hear resolution.
  • ✓Punctuate music.
Essential Question

Just like sentences end with periods or commas, musical phrases end with cadences. What are the main cadences, and how do they feel?

0
Lesson Phases
0
Vocabulary Terms
0
Standards Aligned
0
Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

Cadences Check

Project each item and have students answer about cadences. The tool explains perfect and half cadences.

🎵 Understand cadencesTry it
Answer each question about cadences.
The Lesson · Artistic Process (Listen · Explore · Create · Perform · Reflect)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Listen — Musical Punctuation

5 min

Phrases end with cadences, like periods and commas — what are they?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Play a phrase ending.
  • Ask if it feels done.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Feel it.
  • Get ready.
2

Explore — Cadences

12 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Cadences Check.
  • Note perfect vs. half.
  • Note the feeling.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Note it.
  • Name.
3

Create — Create

14 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Play a perfect cadence.
  • Play a half cadence.
  • Feel the difference.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Perfect!
  • Half!
  • Feel it.
4

Perform — Perform

12 min

Students perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • End a phrase two ways.
  • Show the difference.
  • Give critique.

🎒 Student Actions

  • End it.
  • Show it.
  • Critique.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Explain a cadence.
  • Say how a half cadence feels.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explain it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Music, HS Accomplished).

NCAS
MU:Re7.2.HSII

Analyze cadences.

NCAS
MU:Cr2.1.HSII

Use cadences in composition.

NCAS
MU:Re7.1.HSII

Recognize cadences by ear.

NCAS
MU:Pr4.2.HSII

Perform cadences.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Cadence example cards.
  • Sentence frame: “A ___ cadence sounds ___.”
  • Play at a keyboard.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with perfect vs. half.
  • Play clear examples.
  • Feel the ending.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add plagal and deceptive.
  • Identify cadences by ear.
  • Write a cadence.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🎹A keyboard
  • 💻Cadences Check
  • 🎼Chord charts
  • ✏️Staff paper
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

cadencea phrase-ending progressionperfect cadenceV–I, sounds finalhalf cadenceends on V, sounds unfinishedplagal cadenceIV–I, the “amen” endingphrasea musical sentenceresolutiona feeling of restprogressiona series of chordstonicthe home chord
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is a cadence?
A chord progression that ends a musical phrase.
QUESTION 2
How does a perfect (V–I) cadence sound?
Final and resolved, like a musical period.
QUESTION 3
How does a half cadence sound?
Unfinished, like a musical comma.

Reflect: punctuate it.

Have students play or hum a phrase that ends resolved, then one that ends unfinished. A printable cadences sheet is in the Arts library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 CadencesFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
0

Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 CadencesQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ CadencesPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: cadence, half cadence, perfect cadence, phrase, plagal cadence, progression, resolution, tonic
  1. a phrase-ending progression
  2. V–I, sounds final
  3. IV–I, the “amen” ending
  4. a series of chords
  5. ends on V, sounds unfinished
  6. the home chord
  7. a feeling of rest
  8. a musical sentence

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is a cadence?
  2. How does a perfect (V–I) cadence sound?
  3. How does a half cadence sound?
Answer key — Part A: 1) cadence · 2) perfect cadence · 3) plagal cadence · 4) progression · 5) half cadence · 6) tonic · 7) resolution · 8) phrase
Part B: 1) A chord progression that ends a musical phrase. 2) Final and resolved, like a musical period. 3) Unfinished, like a musical comma.