Questions: Cadential Motion and Phrase Punctuation

Question 1

A composer is writing an 8-measure period and wants the first 4-measure phrase to feel like a question — incomplete, expecting continuation. Which cadence type should end this antecedent phrase?

• A. Perfect Authentic Cadence — it provides maximum closure and formal weight
• B. Plagal Cadence — its gentle quality avoids sounding too final
• C. Half Cadence — it ends on V, leaving tension unresolved and inviting continuation
• D. Deceptive Cadence — the surprise keeps listeners engaged

Answer: (C)

The half cadence ends on V without resolving to I, functioning like a question mark. This is exactly the structural role of the antecedent phrase in a period — creating expectation that the consequent phrase will answer. A PAC would over-close the phrase, making continuation feel unnecessary. A deceptive cadence could work as a surprise within a phrase, but it requires listeners to already expect a strong resolution, making it inappropriate as routine antecedent punctuation.

Question 2

Which conditions are ALL required for a Perfect Authentic Cadence (PAC)?

• A. The progression V → I, with both chords in root position and the soprano landing on scale-degree 3
• B. The progression V → I, with both chords in root position and the soprano landing on scale-degree 1
• C. The progression IV → I, with the soprano landing on scale-degree 1
• D. The progression V → I in any inversion, with the soprano on any chord tone

Answer: (B)

A PAC requires three cooperating elements: the harmonic motion V → I (not IV → I, which is plagal), both chords in root position (not inverted), and the soprano arriving on scale-degree 1 (the tonic). If the soprano lands on scale-degree 3 or 5 instead, the cadence becomes an Imperfect Authentic Cadence (IAC) — still authentic but less final. Inversion of either chord also weakens closure to IAC level.

Question 3

A deceptive cadence achieves its surprising effect by substituting IV where the listener expected I after the dominant.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

The deceptive cadence substitutes vi (the submediant) where I was expected after V, not IV. The vi chord shares two common tones with I (in major: scale-degrees 1 and 3), which is why it can feel like a near-resolution — close enough to briefly satisfy before the ear realizes it has been redirected. IV substitution after V would be a different harmonic event with its own character, not what is conventionally called a deceptive cadence.

Question 4

A Half Cadence ends on the dominant chord and creates a sense of incompleteness that calls for continuation.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: True

The half cadence closes a phrase by arriving at V without resolving it, leaving the dominant tension intact. Because V strongly implies eventual resolution to I, a phrase ending on V sounds unfinished — like a question waiting for an answer. This is its formal function: half cadences mark interior phrase endings where continuation is structurally required, distinguishing them from the more closed endings produced by authentic cadences.

Question 5

Why does a Perfect Authentic Cadence provide stronger closure than an Imperfect Authentic Cadence, even though both use V → I motion?

Model answer: A PAC requires root-position V and I chords AND the soprano to land on scale-degree 1 (the tonic). This means every element cooperates: the bass provides the strongest harmonic support (root position), and the soprano's arrival on the tonic gives melodic finality. An IAC fails at least one of these conditions — an inverted chord or a soprano on 3 or 5 — which undermines full closure. The strength of a cadence depends on how many cooperating factors reinforce the harmonic arrival, not just on the harmonic progression itself.

Voice leading and register matter because musical closure is perceived, not just theoretical. When the melody ends on scale-degree 1 over a root-position tonic chord, every layer of the texture says 'finished.' When the soprano ends on 3, there is a residual sense that the melody could still go somewhere, even though the harmony has resolved. This is why composers reserve PACs for structurally important moments — section endings, final cadences — and use IACs for softer, more interior closures.