Nathaniel School of Music

The Plagal Cadence on Piano: The Amen Move That Adds Instant Emotion

The plagal cadence is the IV chord moving to the I chord, such as F major to C major in C, and on piano you can add it as a passing slash chord over a held bass note, or use IV to minor iv to I for a more emotional sound.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Beginner · 11 min

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Key points

This lesson from Jason Zac at Nathaniel School of Music explains the plagal cadence, one of the most widely used two-chord movements in music, heard from the classical period to modern pop. It suits pianists who know basic major chords and want to make their chord progressions sound richer and more emotional, or who want to start composing progressions from small building blocks.

What the plagal cadence is

The one thing to remember: plagal means IV going to I. In C major, count up C, D, E, F. F is the fourth, so the plagal cadence is F major going to C major. You can play the F in a lower register and move down to C.

In church music this is called the Amen cadence, because it is so often heard at the very end of a hymn.

The minor plagal

Pop and epic rock ballads often add one extra step: IV major, then iv minor, then I. In C this is F major (F A C), then F minor (F Ab C), then C major. That single changed note, A dropping to Ab, adds a lot of emotion. Bands such as Queen and Radiohead use this IV to iv to I sound.

Adding the plagal cadence as flavour to an existing progression

Suppose a song is running on I, IV and V, which in C are C, F and G, and a chord lasts a long time. Instead of holding a static block chord, you can embellish it with its own plagal chord without changing the progression.

  1. Over C: keep C in the left hand and play F major in the right hand, then return to C major. Because the bass stays on C, the passing chord is the slash chord F/C. The C chord becomes a small journey: a little tension, then a return home.
  2. Over F: find F's perfect fourth, which is Bb. Play Bb major over the F bass, then return to F. For the minor flavour, use Bb minor (Bb Db F) before returning.
  3. Over G: apply the same idea using G's perfect fourth, which is C.

Always use a perfect fourth. Above F, that is Bb, not B. B would be a tritone and would sound wrong.

You can freely toggle between the major plagal and the minor plagal each time a chord returns. You can also bring the movement into your melody. The left hand barely moves, which is why the technique is so easy. Elton John and Billy Joel are good artists to listen to for this sound.

Using it in hymns and gospel

In hymns and gospel you can squeeze the plagal cadence in almost everywhere. Jason demonstrates it with Amazing Grace, slipping the plagal slash chord in under the melody. He even starts the song on the slash chord itself rather than on the plain home chord.

Learning it in every key with the Circle of Fifths

Write out the Circle of Fifths. The IV chord of any key is its neighbour just before it, so a plagal cadence is simply a move clockwise onto the home chord: F to C.

You can also chain plagal moves into a journey around the circle: F, C, G, D, A, E, B, F#. Each step is a IV to I. The direction is not tied to one key, so it opens up progressions that are not built strictly from the major scale.

How to practise

Questions about this lesson

Why is the plagal cadence called the Amen cadence?

In church music the IV to I movement is usually heard at the end of a hymn, often on the word Amen. In C major that is F major going to C major.

What is a minor plagal cadence?

It goes from the IV major chord to the iv minor chord and then to I, for example F major, F minor (F Ab C), C major. The lowered note gives a more emotional sound used in pop and rock ballads.

How can I add a plagal cadence without changing my chord progression?

While a chord is held, keep its root in the left hand and play the chord a perfect fourth above in the right hand, then return. Over C this gives F/C, and over F it gives Bb over F.

How do I find the plagal cadence in any key?

Look at the Circle of Fifths. The IV chord is the neighbour just before the home key, so you move clockwise onto the tonic, for example Ab to Eb or Gb to Db.

Practise it

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