Tempo is the speed at which a piece is performed, that is, how fast the beat (pulse) goes. Along with dynamics, it is one of the elements that most changes the character of a piece: the same melody sounds solemn when played slowly and cheerful when played fast. Tempo is shown in two ways: with Italian terms and with a metronome mark. For example, Allegro is about 115–129 bpm and Andante about 76–89 bpm. In the chart below you can hear each tempo by pressing a button.
The metronome mark (BPM)
This is the most exact way: a note value set equal to a number of beats per minute (BPM). For example, ♩ = 120 means 120 quarter notes (UK: crotchets) per minute. You can hear and adjust any tempo with our online metronome.
Tempo markings
Italian words describe the mood more expressively (and a little less precisely). From slowest to fastest, the main ones are listed below. Press each term to hear the metronome at that speed:
The BPM ranges are approximate guides, not hard borders. The exact limits vary with the period, the composer and the character of the piece, and each edition uses slightly different ones. These are the same ranges our metronome uses, so the chart and the tool agree. Markings are often adjusted with adverbs and adjectives: molto (very), poco (a little), assai (quite, very), ma non troppo (but not too much), con moto (with motion) or con brio (with spirit).
| Term | Meaning | Approx. BPM | Hear the beat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grave | Very slow and solemn | 15–39 | Metronome |
| Largo | Broad and sustained | 40–59 | Metronome |
| Larghetto | Slightly less slow than Largo | 60–65 | Metronome |
| Adagio | Slow and expressive | 66–75 | Metronome |
| Andante | "Walking": at an easy walking pace | 76–89 | Metronome |
| Moderato | Moderate, balanced | 90–104 | Metronome |
| Allegretto | Fairly lively, light | 105–114 | Metronome |
| Allegro | Fast and cheerful | 115–129 | Metronome |
| Vivace | Lively and energetic | 130–167 | Metronome |
| Presto | Very fast | 168–199 | Metronome |
| Prestissimo | Extremely fast | 200–300 | Metronome |
Press Listen to hear the beat at that speed. It is the best way to get a feel for what each term means. Each sample stops by itself after 30 seconds. To work with it (change the time signature, the subdivision or add an accelerando), open the online metronome, which opens with that tempo already set.
Combined tempo terms: Allegro vivace, ma non troppo, Andante moderato…
In scores these terms rarely appear alone. They are combined with the modifiers above to fine-tune speed and character (character is shown by the expression terms, such as dolce or maestoso). These are the most common combinations:
| Marking | Meaning | Speed compared with the base term |
|---|---|---|
| Allegro ma non troppo | Fast, but not too much | A little more restrained than Allegro |
| Allegro moderato | Fast, but moderate | Between Moderato and Allegro |
| Allegro assai | Very fast | Faster than Allegro |
| Allegro vivace | Fast and lively | Faster than Allegro, toward Vivace |
| Allegro con brio | Fast and with spirit (energy) | Allegro with an energetic character |
| Andante moderato | "Walking", a little more movement | Between Andante and Moderato |
| Andante con moto (or mosso) | Andante with more motion | A little faster than Andante |
| Più mosso / Meno mosso | More motion / less motion | A change relative to the previous tempo |
The key is in the modifiers: assai and vivace push toward faster, while ma non troppo, moderato and meno mosso pull toward more restrained. That is why an Allegro assai is livelier than an Allegro ma non troppo, even though both start from the same Allegro.
Tempo changes (agogics)
Tempo is not always fixed. It can speed up (accelerando), slow down (ritardando, rallentando or ritenuto), return to the earlier speed (a tempo), change at once to another (più mosso, meno mosso), stop on a fermata or become flexible with rubato. All of this is the subject of agogics.
That page explains what is most often confused: ritardando slows gradually while ritenuto slows at once, and più mosso is not an accelerando but a new tempo starting on that very note.
To practice all this there are tempo and agogics exercises: what each term means, ordering speeds from slowest to fastest, and a PDF worksheet with answers.
Tempo applies to the beat that organizes each measure (UK: bar), and you work on it with the metronome to internalize a steady speed before adding expressive flexibility.