Which cadence is characterized by both chords in root position and the tonic in the highest voice?

Which cadence is characterized by both chords in root position and the tonic in the highest voice?

• A. Imperfect Authentic Cadence
• B. Deceptive Cadence
• C. Plagal Cadence
• D. Perfect Authentic Cadence

Answer: (D)

A perfect authentic cadence is the strongest, most conclusive ending in tonal music. It occurs when a dominant chord resolves to the tonic with both chords in root position, and the final tonic is sounded in the highest voice. This combination ensures a clear, decisive sense of closure: the leading-tone resolves upward to the tonic in the soprano, and the bass moves from the dominant to the tonic in a straightforward, unaltered way because both chords are in root position. Because the chords sit in root position, the cadence has a clean, stable sonority without inversions that might soften the resolve. The tonic in the highest voice reinforces the sense of finality at the very top of the texture. Other cadences either don’t move from V to I in root position, or don’t have the tonic in the soprano at the end, or involve a different final sonority (such as IV-I in a plagal cadence, or V moving to a chord other than I in a deceptive cadence, or V-I with inversions in an imperfect authentic cadence). This combination—V to I, both in root position, with the tonic in the top voice—defines the perfect authentic cadence.

A perfect authentic cadence is the strongest, most conclusive ending in tonal music. It occurs when a dominant chord resolves to the tonic with both chords in root position, and the final tonic is sounded in the highest voice. This combination ensures a clear, decisive sense of closure: the leading-tone resolves upward to the tonic in the soprano, and the bass moves from the dominant to the tonic in a straightforward, unaltered way because both chords are in root position.

Because the chords sit in root position, the cadence has a clean, stable sonority without inversions that might soften the resolve. The tonic in the highest voice reinforces the sense of finality at the very top of the texture.

Other cadences either don’t move from V to I in root position, or don’t have the tonic in the soprano at the end, or involve a different final sonority (such as IV-I in a plagal cadence, or V moving to a chord other than I in a deceptive cadence, or V-I with inversions in an imperfect authentic cadence). This combination—V to I, both in root position, with the tonic in the top voice—defines the perfect authentic cadence.