Using a Deceptive Cadence When Playing Guitar

I’m enjoying creating our brand new Music Theory for Guitar program. One of several musical ideas in the program is known as a Deceptive Cadence. Worship musicians make use of the deceptive cadence frequently in order to lengthen a worship song.

It is common for any worship song to finish using a chord referred to as the V, or the V₇, to the chord known as the I. There is not enough space here to speak regarding the numerous chord constructions and keys but the I chord is the actual root chord of the key. For instance, within the key of ‘G’ the I is a ‘G’ chord. The V within the key of ‘G’ will be the chord ‘D.’

The ‘D’ or ‘D₇‘ chord resolves beautifully into the chord ‘G.’ A deceptive cadence is whenever you switch to your VI chord at the conclusion of the tune rather than the I.

An example could be the song “Lord I Lift Your Name On High.” I am aware that a lot of you may have the Worship Guitar Class program and this particular song is inside the very first volume. The chords tend to be mainly ‘G C D C.’ The song finishes using the chords ‘D,’ ‘D_sus,’ G…..

The deceptive cadence for that key of ‘G’ is the VI chord and that is the chord ‘E_m.’ As an alternative to using ‘D,’ D_sus,’ ‘G’ you could play ‘D,’ ‘D_sus,’ E_m.’ This ‘E_m‘ is on the final word ‘high.’ Play for the full measure and then ½ measure with ‘A_m‘ as well as ‘D’ ‘D_sus‘ for that 2nd half of the measure and then finish on the pattern ‘G C D C and G’. This particular ending is below…

| E_m | A_m D_sus D           | G C | D C | G
… high. Lord I lift your name on high.

We usually perform the deceptive cadence two or three times prior to ultimately concluding on G.

If you have ever desired to learn how to read music as well as to fully grasp music theory, you should become a member of the music theory course.

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