deceptive cadence
theorydeh-SEP-tiv KAY-dents
A harmonic progression where the dominant chord (V) resolves to an unexpected chord, typically vi, instead of the expected tonic.
The deceptive cadence (also called an interrupted cadence in British terminology) sets up the listener's expectation for a final resolution from V to I, then subverts it by moving to a different chord — most commonly the submediant (vi). Because the vi chord shares two notes with the tonic triad, the resolution feels partially satisfying yet strangely unsettled, creating a moment of harmonic surprise.
Composers use deceptive cadences to extend musical phrases, delay endings, and create emotional ambiguity. A particularly famous example occurs near the end of the first movement of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, where a deceptive cadence prolongs the dramatic tension. In pop songwriting, deceptive cadences appear in countless hits — the emotional "twist" of a V–vi progression is the foundation of the so-called "sensitive" chord sequence used extensively in contemporary music.
The deceptive cadence is sometimes called a "false close" in older texts, and Bach was particularly fond of using it to extend chorale phrases beyond their expected endpoints.