Cadence Preparation and Voice-Leading

Core Idea

Authentic, plagal, and deceptive cadences each present specific voice-leading requirements. Preparation chords lead smoothly to the cadential harmony; the final resolution must be clear and satisfying, with voices typically moving to the closest diatonic pitches.

Explainer

A cadence is not just a harmonic event — it is a voice-leading event. You already know the cadence types: the authentic cadence (V–I), which closes a phrase with full finality; the plagal cadence (IV–I), softer and more hymn-like; and the deceptive cadence (V–vi), which withholds the expected resolution and redirects to the submediant. What you are learning now is how to set up each of these cleanly in four voices, so that the resolution sounds inevitable rather than abrupt or awkward.

The concept of cadence preparation refers to the chord that arrives just before the cadential chord. In a basic authentic cadence, you might write ii–V–I or IV–V–I. The preparation chord matters because it positions the voices so they can move smoothly into the dominant and then resolve cleanly to the tonic. Good preparation avoids awkward leaps going into the cadence and sets up contrary motion into the resolution. Think of it as a runway: the preparation chord aligns the voices so the landing is graceful.

Voice-leading into the authentic cadence has several specific requirements. In the V–I resolution, the leading tone (scale degree 7, the third of V) must rise to the tonic — this is a hard rule, especially in an outer voice. The seventh of V7, if present, must resolve down by step to the third of I. The bass typically moves by a fifth (V down to I or up a fourth). Following these resolutions strictly ensures that all four voices move to the closest available note in the I chord, minimizing unnecessary motion and creating a clear, satisfying close.

The deceptive cadence works precisely because it exploits the listener's expectation of V–I resolution. When V arrives, the soprano, alto, and tenor should still resolve as if heading to I — the leading tone rises, the seventh falls — but the bass moves to vi instead of I. The upper voices adjust minimally; the surprise is in the bass. This is what makes the deceptive cadence feel like a sidestep rather than a derailment: the melodic resolutions are honored, but the harmonic arrival is redirected. Understanding this voice-leading geometry makes the effect controllable, not accidental.