adjective
- relating to a church mode or musical scale having the fourth as its dominant note
Usage: music theory
Examples
- The plagal mode creates a distinctive medieval sound in Gregorian chant.
- She studied the difference between authentic and plagal cadences in her music theory class.
- The composer used a plagal progression to give the hymn a traditional feel.
- Medieval musicians often employed plagal modes in their sacred compositions.
- The plagal cadence is sometimes called the ‘Amen cadence’ because of its frequent use in church music.