Half Cadence (IV V)
The Half cadence is the chord progression IV-V. In the key of C major it is F G, and in the Nashville Number System it is written 4 5.
It is also known as imperfect cadence, semicadence.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
A phrase stops on V instead of I, here approached from IV. Nothing resolves, so it feels like a comma or a question, and the next phrase has to answer it. Any chord can lead to V, but IV is the most common choice in rock and folk.
Songs that use it
These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.
| Song | Artist | Section | Chords | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twist and Shout | The Beatles | verse, the loop stops on V each time | D G A | D major |
Half Cadence: Chords and Audio in C, G, D, A and E
Press play to hear each key. The diagrams show the shapes used in the audio, and every chord links to its full page.
More progressions like this one
- La Folia: Cm G Cm Bb Eb Bb Cm G
- Pachelbel's Canon progression: C G Am Em F C F G
- Authentic cadence: G C
- Plagal cadence: F C
All guitar chord progressions →
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What are the chords of the Half cadence in each key?
In C major: F G. In G major: C D. In D major: G A. In A major: D E. In E major: A B.
Which songs use the Half cadence?
Songs that use it include Twist and Shout by The Beatles.
