cut time

Cut time (alla breve) uses a time signature of 2/2 — two half-note beats per bar. Music in cut time looks like 4/4 on the page but feels faster because the performer thinks in two rather than four. The symbol is a C with a vertical line through it. Cut time is common in marches, fast waltzes, and energetic Baroque movements. Thinking in two prevents the music from feeling heavy or plodding — instead of four deliberate beats, the performer feels two flowing pulses. The distinction between 4/4 and 2/2 is about feel rather than speed: the same notes at the same tempo feel different depending on whether you think in four or two.