Cadences

Abstract

The PAC is the strongest cadence and it is frequently found at the very end of a composition. Why is it the strongest? Because not only does the progression V-I strongly create the sense of a particular tonality (Note: V serves to establish I because of its dominant relation to I and because it contains the leading tone which projects the tonic pitch), but when the soprano line ends on the tonic scale degree the effect of completion or closure is stronger than if it ended on the 3rd or 5th scale degree.