Reading music
Tempo markings
The Italian words at the top of a piece tell you how fast to play: Adagio, Andante, Allegro. Here's what each one means, how many beats per minute it usually is, and the same tune played at every one of them, so you can hear the difference.
The opening of Beethoven's Ode to Joy, at the tempo you choose. Move the slider and play it again.
Every tempo marking, slowest to fastest
Tap ▶ to hear Ode to Joy at the middle of each range, or open a marking for more.
| Marking | Tempo | Meaning | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grave | 20–40 BPM | the slowest marking of all | |
| Largo | 40–60 BPM | very slow and broad | |
| Lento | 40–60 BPM | slow, without the breadth of Largo | |
| Larghetto | 60–66 BPM | a little faster and lighter than Largo | |
| Adagio | 66–76 BPM | slow and expressive, with room to breathe | |
| Andante | 76–108 BPM | a walking pace | |
| Andantino | 80–108 BPM | a little lighter than Andante, and usually a little quicker (in the 18th century some meant slower | |
| Moderato | 108–120 BPM | a moderate, comfortable speed | |
| Allegretto | 112–120 BPM | moderately fast and light | |
| Allegro | 120–156 BPM | fast and bright | |
| Vivace | 156–176 BPM | lively and fast, with energy as much as speed | |
| Presto | 176–200 BPM | very fast | |
| Prestissimo | 200+ BPM | the fastest marking there is |
The ranges are the usual modern ones; books and metronome dials disagree by a few beats either way. Before Maelzel's metronome (1815), these words were all composers had, and they describe a character as much as a speed: Allegro means cheerful, Andante walking, Adagio at ease.
Changing speed
Some words don't set a tempo but bend it. Hear each one:
| Word | Written | Meaning | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ritardando | rit. or ritard. | slowing down | |
| Accelerando | accel. | getting faster | |
| Rubato | rubato or tempo rubato | “robbed” time: stretching and catching up | |
| A tempo | a tempo | back to the original speed |
The little words
Tempo markings often come with a modifier. The common ones:
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| molto | very |
| assai | very (in some older music, “rather”) |
| poco | a little |
| poco a poco | little by little |
| più | more |
| meno | less |
| ma non troppo | but not too much |
| con moto | with movement |
| con brio | with fire, spirit |
| sostenuto | sustained |
| cantabile | singing |
| mosso | moved, lively: più mosso is faster, meno mosso slower |
| tempo di valse | at a waltz's speed |
| tempo di marcia | at a march's speed |
So Allegro ma non troppo is fast, but not too fast; poco più mosso a little faster; Andante con moto walking, with movement.
Metronome marks
Many scores give a number as well: ♩ = 120 means 120 quarter-note beats a minute. Older editions write M.M. ♩ = 120, for Maelzel's Metronome. When a piece gives both a word and a number, the number is the speed and the word is the character. Set any number on the metronome, or find the tempo of a recording with tap tempo.
Keeping the tempo on a real piano? Ivory listens to you play and tells you what's off: a note that's missing, a hand that lands late, a passage that rushes. Then it shows you how it should go.
Questions people ask
What are the tempo markings in order?
From slowest to fastest: Grave (20–40 BPM), Largo (40–60 BPM), Lento (40–60 BPM), Larghetto (60–66 BPM), Adagio (66–76 BPM), Andante (76–108 BPM), Andantino (80–108 BPM), Moderato (108–120 BPM), Allegretto (112–120 BPM), Allegro (120–156 BPM), Vivace (156–176 BPM), Presto (176–200 BPM), Prestissimo (200+ BPM).
What BPM is Allegro?
Usually 120 to 156 BPM. Andante, a walking pace, is about 76 to 108; Adagio about 66 to 76; Presto 176 to 200.
Why are tempo markings in Italian?
Italian composers led European music when these words became standard, in the 1600s and 1700s, so the terms spread with their music. Some composers use their own language instead: Satie and Debussy wrote French, and Beethoven and Schumann sometimes German.
Is Andante slow or fast?
In between: a walking pace, about 76 to 108 BPM. Andantino is usually a little quicker.
What is the slowest tempo marking?
Grave (very slow and solemn, below about 40 BPM), then Largo and Lento. The fastest is Prestissimo, as fast as possible.
What do rit., accel. and a tempo mean?
Rit. (ritardando): gradually slower. Accel. (accelerando): gradually faster. A tempo: back to the speed you were at before.