Shape a chord progression so its tension climbs and resolves, and traces the target curve exactly.
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How to play
You are given a key, a number of slots, and a target tension curve shaped build, climax and resolve. Place a chord in each slot from the available palette so the progression's rising and falling tension matches the curve as closely as you can. Ending on a genuine cadence earns bonus credit.
Select a slot, then choose a chord to fill it
Match the overall tension shape to the target curve
Aim for a strong, authentic-sounding resolution at the end
Play your progression back to hear how it lands
Controls
Desktop: click a slot to select it and click a chord to place it; use Left/Right arrows to move between slots
Phone & tablet: tap slots and chord buttons to build the progression
Game modes
Daily: one shared curve to solve each day
Practice: a fresh puzzle on demand
Difficulty widens the chord palette and the curve's complexity
Tips & strategy
Start at the climax: place the highest-tension chord where the curve peaks
Use a clear dominant-to-tonic move to nail the resolution bonus
Use the hint and playback to test a slot before committing
What you'll learn
Cadence Architect reimagines harmony writing as a tension-curve puzzle, teaching how cadences create release.
Skills: harmony, cadences, voice-leading, tension and release
Best for: roughly grades 9–12 (ages 14+)
For parents & teachers: writing harmony as tension and release.
Origins
Placing chords into slots to match a target tension curve — build, climax, resolve — is writing a chord progression to a shape.
Supplying the curve rather than the chords is the original inversion.
That is how progressions actually function. Harmonic tension is a property of the sequence rather than of any chord, and a cadence is only a resolution because of what came before it — so composing to a curve is closer to the real task than filling in a formula.
About Cadence Architect
Cadence Architect is an original, free browser game that reimagines harmony writing as a tension-curve puzzle. It is built in-house and runs straight in your browser.
A free, original browser game on PlayPendium. No download, no install.
