Common time and Cut time

Common time, also known as time, is a meter with four quarter-note beats per measure. It’s often symbolized by the common-time symbol: .

Cut time, also known as  or alla breve, is a meter with two half-note beats per measure. It’s often symbolized by the cut-time symbol: . For general information on time signatures, see Time signatures.

To mix abbreviated and non-abbreviated cut and common time signatures

1. Click the Time Signature tool  .
2. Double-click on the first measure in which you want to change the appearance of the time signature. The Time Signature dialog box appears.
3. Choose the measures you want affected. By default, SongWriter selects the measure you clicked, or the area you drag-enclosed, so if that’s the range you want, you don’t need to enter anything. To specify a different range of measures, enter the numbers of the first and last measures making up the region. To change the measure you selected through the end of the piece, click Measure ___ Through End of Piece.
4. Use the Abbreviate checkbox to specify whether to abbreviate the cut or common time signature for this time change. If you want to use the abbreviated symbol , simply check Abbreviate. On the other hand, if you want the time signature to appear as numbers , just deselect Abbreviate by unchecking the checkbox.
5. Click OK (or press RETURN). You return to the score, where the measure region you specified now shows the time signature in the format you chose.

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