Dubbeltid

Dubbeltid is a musical term, Swedish for "double time," that describes a shift in rhythmic feel where the music is perceived as moving at twice the speed of the written tempo. In a double-time passage, performers emphasize shorter subdivisions of the beat, so rhythms that are written as regular eighth notes may be felt and articulated as if they were sixteenth notes, creating a sense of increased drive while the tempo marking can remain unchanged.

In practice, dubbeltid is used to create contrast and energy within a piece. The rhythm section may accent the offbeats more strongly, and melodic and harmonic movements can be heard as if they are advancing more quickly. This feel is common in jazz, funk, and pop contexts, where a section shifts from a normal four-beat feel to a double-time feel to propel the music forward without a formal tempo change.

Notation and indication vary. Some scores explicitly mark dubbeltid or a double-time instruction, but in many cases the change is implied by performance practice rather than a new tempo marking. Players interpret the passage by treating the beat as if subdivided more densely, while the metronome or tempo indication may stay the same.

Etymology and usage: the term comes from Swedish, with dubbel meaning double and tid meaning time. It describes a common rhythmic device used to alter groove and momentum without altering the written tempo.