tempo (see below). Several meters are used in marches, as follows: time is called "cut-time", indicated by the symbol . (This means common time cut-in-half, hence the name "cut-time"). Marches written in cut-time have a clear upbeat/downbeat feel, which in layman's terms, means a strong "oom-pah" sound is heard. Many cut-time marches use heavy syncopation to create rhythmic interest. Because passing tones in most cases are shorter than marches in a different meter, cut-time marches tend to sound faster. An example of a cut-time march is "Stars and Stripes Forever" by Sousa. time marches are played "in two", meaning the dotted quarter-note gets the beat and there are two of them in a measure. time is used when the composer wants a "triplet" feel in the beat; that is, marches produce a more dance-like, swing beat that is more prominent and exaggerated than its cut-time cousin. A march can be recognized immediately by its common "da-bah-da-bah" or "DA-da-DA-da" sound. An example of a march is "The Washington Post March", also by Sousa. time is much like cut-time, except fewer notes appear in a measure, as here the quarter-note gets the beat instead of the half-note; but there are still only two beats per measure. Marches in time typically are written for the performer as it is easier to read at faster tempos. Many European marches are written in , and almost all American galops as well. Galops are played at a very fast tempo, sounding as if there was one beat to the bar. time marches are rare. However, some slow marches such as dirges use it. Robert Jager uses in his quick march "Stars and Bars". Tempo The tempo of marches varies significantly. While most bands perform marches in their own tempo, most marches are quick (faster than a waltz, as fast as or slower than a polka). As alluded to before, most march composers did not designate a specific tempo on their manuscripts. However, that is not to say the march music composer is random with his/her tempo while conducting the march. For example, John Philip Sousa conducted his marches using around 120 beats per minute. Most European march composers, however, conducted their marches in a slower style, using around 100 beats per minute. There are, however, many and notable exceptions: see concert march and screamer. Key For the sake of band performers, especially altos, marches are typically