Common time (C)
The common-time sign is the modern equivalent of 4/4: four quarter-note beats per bar in simple quadruple metre. It is a metric sign, not an instruction that the tempo must be ordinary or moderate.
- Time signatures
- At the start of the staff
- A curve or arc, Letters
Do not confuse it with
Cut common time has a vertical stroke and means 2/2, with two half-note beats per bar.
What the sources say
- Simple Meter and Time Signatures
Common time is the equivalent of 4/4 (simple quadruple—four beats per measure)
- Notation Basics in MusicXML
To represent common and cut time signatures ... common ... 4 ... 4
- SMuFL — Time signatures
timeSigCommon — Common time
- Steps to Music Theory — Simple Meters
Common time is equivalent to the time signature 4/4.