Questions: Cadence Types: Authentic, Plagal, Half, and Deceptive

Question 1

Which cadence type ends on the dominant chord (V) without resolving to the tonic?

• A. Authentic cadence
• B. Plagal cadence
• C. Half cadence
• D. Deceptive cadence

Answer: (C)

A half cadence ends on V, leaving the harmony unresolved — it sounds like a musical question or a comma in a sentence. Authentic cadences (V-I) and plagal cadences (IV-I) both resolve to the tonic. A deceptive cadence begins on V but resolves to vi instead of I.

Question 2

A deceptive cadence (V-vi) creates a strong sense of resolution and closure.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

This is a misconception based on the word 'cadence.' A deceptive cadence does the opposite of creating closure — it deliberately frustrates the expectation of resolution. The V chord strongly implies I will follow; when vi appears instead, the listener feels surprised and the phrase continues rather than ending.

Question 3

Why does the authentic cadence (V-I) produce the strongest sense of finality of all cadence types?

Model answer: The dominant chord (V) contains the leading tone, which has a strong half-step pull toward the tonic. When V resolves to I, the bass moves by a fifth (or fourth), the leading tone resolves upward, and all voices converge on the tonic — creating maximum harmonic closure.

The authentic cadence combines two powerful forces: the functional tension of the dominant (which contains the dissonant tritone in a dominant seventh chord) and the half-step resolution of the leading tone to the tonic. No other cadence type combines both of these, which is why V-I feels so final. Plagal (IV-I) lacks the leading tone; half cadences leave V hanging; deceptive cadences subvert the resolution entirely.