In a V7–I authentic cadence in four-voice harmony, what must the leading tone (scale degree 7, the third of V) do?
ALeap down a third to the fifth of I for smooth contrary motion
BHold as a common tone between V and I
CRise by step to the tonic, especially in an outer voice
DMove to whichever voice has the most convenient spacing
The leading tone has a strong upward melodic tendency to the tonic — this is a hard voice-leading rule in four-voice harmony, especially when the leading tone appears in an outer voice (soprano or bass). Ignoring this creates a 'frustrated leading tone' effect that weakens the cadential resolution. In inner voices some flexibility exists, but allowing the leading tone to leap down or stay put, particularly in the soprano, undermines the sense of arrival that defines an authentic cadence.
Question 2 Multiple Choice
What makes the deceptive cadence (V–vi) feel like a sidestep rather than a complete harmonic disruption?
AThe bass resolves to the tonic while the upper voices move to vi
BThe upper voices (soprano, alto, tenor) resolve as they would in a V–I cadence; only the bass redirects to vi
CAll four voices move to vi together, creating a smooth parallel motion
DThe leading tone is withheld from resolving, creating unresolved tension that feels like a sidestep
The deceptive effect works because the melodic resolutions in the upper voices are honored: the leading tone still rises to the tonic, the seventh of V7 still falls, and the soprano follows its expected path. The surprise is entirely in the bass, which moves to vi instead of I. Because the upper voices are 'doing the right thing,' the resolution feels partial rather than broken — the harmony lands somewhere unexpected, but the melodic motion was coherent. This is what makes the deceptive cadence controllable and satisfying rather than merely random.
Question 3 True / False
In a four-voice authentic cadence (V–I), the leading tone must resolve upward by step to the tonic.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: True
This is one of the firmest rules in common-practice voice-leading. The leading tone is a half-step below the tonic, and its upward resolution is what creates the sense of arrival at I. When the leading tone appears in an outer voice (especially the soprano), this resolution is non-negotiable — violating it produces a weak, incomplete-sounding cadence. In inner voices the rule has somewhat more flexibility, but the principle holds: scale degree 7 wants to resolve up to scale degree 1.
Question 4 True / False
In a deceptive cadence (V–vi), the soprano and alto voices should resolve differently than they would in a standard V–I cadence, in order to signal the harmonic surprise.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: False
The upper voices — soprano, alto, and tenor — should resolve exactly as they would in a V–I cadence: the leading tone rises, the seventh falls, the other voices move to their closest notes. Only the bass redirects to vi. This is what makes the deceptive cadence sound like an interrupted arrival rather than a non-sequitur. If the upper voices also behaved unusually, the cadence would lose its distinctive quality of setting up a normal resolution and then withholding only the final harmonic destination.
Question 5 Short Answer
What is the function of a cadence preparation chord, and what voice-leading problem does it solve?
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: The preparation chord positions the four voices so they can move smoothly into the dominant (and then resolve cleanly to the tonic). Without careful preparation, voices may arrive at the dominant from awkward intervals requiring large leaps, producing parallel fifths or octaves, or leaving the leading tone in a difficult position. The preparation chord acts as a runway: it aligns the voices so the subsequent motion is stepwise and the resolution is graceful rather than abrupt.
Common preparation chords like ii or IV are chosen because they share tones with the dominant or lie a step away from dominant chord tones, making contrary motion into V natural. For instance, ii in first inversion (the 'cadential ii6') prepares V particularly well because its bass note lies a step above the dominant's bass. The preparation is what turns a cadence from a harmonic label into a heard event with inevitability and weight.