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2.1.3 Cadential integrity

Question. Does the cadence resolve properly? Is the leading-interval-pair employed at the cadential moment?

How to check.

  1. Identify the cadence point (the structural arrival, usually a Summit or a Plateau Q787 chord).
  2. Check the chord before the cadence. Is it a Saddle, a Slope, or another tension chord?
  3. Check the voice motion at the cadence. Are two voices moving by single semitone in coordinated motion (the leading-interval-pair)?
  4. Are non-chord tones at the cadence resolved by step?

Common findings. Cadences that “miss” usually do so because the penultimate chord was not a tension chord (no demand for resolution) or because the leading-interval-pair was not coordinated (the two voices moved at different times rather than together).