Plagal cadence

As early as the early 16th century, German music theorists described the plagal cadence as a (formal close). 18th century music theorists including Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers, Charles Masson, and Jean-Philippe Rameau analyzed the cadence, calling it a (imperfect cadence) or (irregular cadence). ==Modern use==

Plagal cadences are commonly used in rock music: the IV chord is the most common chord proceeding the tonic in rock music other than the tonic itself. Modern rock songs that utilize a plagal cadence include "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson, "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Hound Dog" by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and "In My Life" by The Beatles. The fourth and sixth scale degrees, which are used in the IV chord, are rarely treated as stable in rock music. ==Variations==

Minor plagal cadence F minor chord (pictured) resolving to C.|120x120px A minor plagal cadence is a type of plagal cadence which uses a minor iv instead of the typical major IV before resolving to the I chord. The minor plagal cadence was recognized as early as the 1670s, with Wolfgang Caspar Printz coining the term (dissected acquiescent perfect formal close) to describe the cadence. The minor plagal cadence appears in many popular songs, including "Space Oddity" by David Bowie, "Don't Look Back in Anger" by Oasis, and "Crying" by Roy Orbison. F minor major seventh chord (pictured) resolving to C.|160x160px The minor-major seventh version of the iv chord is often used in major-key songs, such as "It's My Party" by Lesley Gore, "Magical Mystery Tour" by The Beatles, and "Vision of Love" by Mariah Carey. ==References==