Amen cadence
The Amen cadence is the closing progression from the subdominant to the tonic (IV–I). It carries its name because the “Amen” appended in church singing after the end of a chorale is usually sung on exactly these two chords, one syllable per chord.
- Sequence
- IV – I, function S – T
- In C major
- F major – C major
- Bass
- fifth up or fourth down
- Broader term
- plagal cadence
Two syllables, two chords
In church singing, above all in Protestant and Anglican hymns, the “Amen” at the end of a chorale or prayer is usually sung on two chords: subdominant, then tonic. From this the progression has its name. The Amen cadence is thus a special case of the plagal cadence, named after its liturgical place and not after a construction of its own.
Amen cadence in C major: right hand
Two chords, one syllable per chord: A – men. From F major to C major, F moves to E and A to G, while C stays.
The bass to go with it
The bass goes from F to C, here a fifth upwards (F2 to C3); the fourth downwards can be played just as well.
In the glossary: Plagal cadence · Subdominant · Tonic
Soft instead of goal-directed
The sound clearly distinguishes this progression from the authentic cadence. There the leading tone of the dominant leads insistently into the tonic, and the close sounds goal-directed and closed. In the Amen cadence this leading tone is missing: the subdominant sinks, as it were, back into the tonic. The result sounds soft and confirming, without strong tension.
That is why it is poorly suited as the sole close of a larger movement and well suited as an afterthought behind a goal already reached. In the hymn book the syllables “A-men” are usually written under the closing pair, often with a fermata over the last chord. The real close of the chorale has then already happened, and the Amen is appended as additional confirmation. The progression also occurs outside church music, as a soft close.
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Related terms
Plagal cadenceCadenceSubdominantTonicFull close (authentic cadence)Bass clausula
Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 3 October 2026
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