I know C alone is common time but what is the one with the line through it,
Most musicians do not know the origin of C and C with a slash in music. Most believe that they stand for "common" and "cut" time. Since notated music was essentially church music in the 13th and 14th centuries 3 being the number of the trinity was considered perfect. Perfection was shown with a circle. When a song was in 3 with each beat subdivided in 3 like in modern 9/8 time it was called perfect-perfect and represented with a circle with a dot in the center. If it was in 3 with the beat divided in two like in modern 3/4 time it was perfect-imperfect and the time signature was a circle with no dot.. If the song was in 2 but subdivided in 3 like in modern 6/8 time the time signature was a semicircle pointing to the right like a "C" with a dot in the center. A piece in 2 with the beat subdivided in two like in 2/4 time was represented with the semicircle without the dot. Any of these symbols with a slash indicated they were be to be performed twice as fast as in double time. Of course today we use "C" to indicate 4/4 and with a slash to indicate 2/4; While the meaning has changed slightly over the centuries the C and C with a slash are the only of the old time signatures to survive today.
I agree with Janicee: . c = common time [ 4/4 ] . ยข = cut time "alla breve" [ 2/2 ] . http://funadvice.com/r/15067q5vesk . Example Score [.pdf ] : J S Bach - BWV 589 = Allabreve in D Major ..... . http://funadvice.com/r/15067q5vg7v .
Don't know what I was thinking but C with a slash is 2/2 time not 2/4. Funny I remember all this archaic 13th century perfect-perfect stuff from music history but missed one of the most common modern time signatures!
It means 'Alla Brave'. 2 minim beats in a bar. This is the right answer, my mum is a pianist and I just asked her.
4/4 signature -- 4 quarters beats per measure(=
That's the C though, common time, isn't it?
oh well my mistake guys sorry :(
2/2 time if I'm not mistaken.
no 4/4 ...
