Cut common time (alla breve)
The cut-common-time sign is equivalent in modern notation to 2/2, or alla breve: two half-note beats per bar in simple duple metre. It changes the felt beat unit, not the bar's total duration relative to 4/4 notation alone.
- Time signatures
- At the start of the staff
- A curve or arc, A straight line, Letters
Do not confuse it with
An uncut common-time sign means 4/4 and normally carries four quarter-note beats.
What the sources say
- Simple Meter and Time Signatures
cut time is the equivalent of 2/2 (simple duple—two beats per measure).
- Notation Basics in MusicXML
For cut time, use ... beats 2 ... beat-type 2
- SMuFL — Time signatures
timeSigCutCommon — Cut time
- Steps to Music Theory — Simple Meters
Cut time is equivalent to time signature 2/2.