Tempo markings · Changing speed
A tempo
A tempo (a tempo) means back to the original speed. Hear the same tune played straight, then with a a tempo.
The opening of Beethoven's Ode to Joy. Watch the BPM as it plays.
What it means
Back to the speed you were playing before a ritardando, an accelerando or a passage marked to go slower or faster. Not gradual: the very next note is back in time.
Tempo primo (Tempo I) means back to the tempo at the very start of the piece, useful when the tempo has changed several times.
Where you'll meet it
Listen for it in the demo above: the tune slows down, then snaps straight back to the first speed.
Other words for changing speed
| Word | Written | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Rallentando | rall. | gradually slower (like ritardando) |
| Ritenuto | riten. | held back: slower at once |
| Stringendo | string. | pressing on: faster and more intense |
| Più mosso / meno mosso | faster / slower, at once | |
| Tempo primo | Tempo I | back to the speed at the start |
Shaping 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 slowing-down that comes too late. Then it shows you how it should go.
Questions people ask
What does A tempo mean in music?
Back to the speed you were playing before a ritardando, an accelerando or a passage marked to go slower or faster.
How is A tempo written?
A tempo.
What is the difference between a tempo and tempo primo?
A tempo returns to the speed just before the change; tempo primo (Tempo I) returns to the speed at the very start of the piece.