A 2/4 and a 4/4 time signature are quite different, and trying to adapt a 4/4 style to 'fit' a piece of music that is written as 2/4 can often present problems - and so to be able to find a dedicated style is very useful. And there are several styles on the T4 that may certainly appear to be 4/4, but are actually 2/4 styles.
I hope this explains a little about what I mean (but
please do forgive me if I am trying to tell granny how to suck eggs!
)
A piece with a time signature of 4/4 has four quarter note beats - each measure of 2/4 time has two quarter note beats.
In 2/2 time, the half note gets one beat, and there are two beats to a bar. The first beat gets the emphasis, and the second beat is the weaker one. The resulting accent pattern of one-two is reminiscent of a ticking clock, or a march. It is sometimes also referred to as cut time.