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13.1: The Perfect Authentic Cadence

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    13.1 The Perfect Authentic Cadence

    We will now distinguish between two types of authentic (VV–II) cadences: the Perfect Authentic Cadence (PAC) and the Imperfect Authentic Cadence (IAC).

    The Perfect Authentic Cadence must meet three requirements:

    1. VV–II
    2. Both chords in root position
    3. Tonic scale degree (1^ ) in the highest voice of the tonic chord

    phrases-PAC-example.svg

    If at least one of these requirements is not met (one or both of the chords are inverted, tonic is not in the highest voice, or viivii∘ occurs in place of VV), the cadence is an Imperfect Authentic Cadence (IAC).


    This page titled 13.1: The Perfect Authentic Cadence is shared under a GNU Free Documentation License 1.3 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Robert Hutchinson via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.

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