Plagal Cadence (IV I)
The Plagal cadence is the chord progression IV-I. In the key of C major it is F C, and in the Nashville Number System it is written 4 1.
It is also known as Amen cadence.
Jump to the chords and audio in C, G, D, A and E
Why it works
The subdominant moves to the tonic with no leading tone, so the close is soft rather than forceful. The tonic note is held as a common tone while the other voices fall by step. Hymns set it to Amen, and rock uses it constantly because IV is the most common chord before the tonic there.
Songs that use it
These are the chords as played in each song, in the song's own key.
| Song | Artist | Section | Chords | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Let It Be | The Beatles | end of the verse and chorus lines | G F C | C major |
| Hey Jude | The Beatles | outro, the na-na-na section | F Eb Bb F | F major |
Plagal 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.
Same loop, different starting chord
- I-IV: C F
- I7-IV7 vamp: C7 F7
More progressions like this one
- Deceptive cadence: G Am
- Phrygian half cadence: Fm/Ab G
- Cadential six-four: Dm C/G G C
- Romanesca: Eb Bb Cm G Eb Bb Cm G Cm
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 Plagal cadence in each key?
In C major: F C. In G major: C G. In D major: G D. In A major: D A. In E major: A E.
Which songs use the Plagal cadence?
Songs that use it include Let It Be by The Beatles, Hey Jude by The Beatles.
