Tempo markings · Adagio
Adagio
Adagio means slow and expressive, with room to breathe: usually 66 to 76 BPM. It's Italian for at ease (Italian “ad agio”). Hear it below.
The opening of Beethoven's Ode to Joy, at the tempo you choose. Move the slider and play it again.
How fast is Adagio?
About 66–76 BPM, with 71 a good middle. Slow and expressive, with room to breathe: the tempo of the great slow movements. Compare it with its neighbours:
These ranges are a convention, not a law. Composers wrote Italian words long before there were metronomes (Maelzel's arrived in 1815), and the numbers in books and on metronome dials disagree by a few beats. Treat Adagio as a character as much as a speed.
Pieces marked Adagio
- Beethoven, Moonlight Sonata, first movement: Adagio sostenuto
- Beethoven, Pathétique Sonata, second movement: Adagio cantabile
- Barber, Adagio for Strings (marked Molto adagio)
Adagio with other words
Composers often add a word or two to fine-tune it:
- Adagio sostenuto: slow and sustained
- Adagio cantabile: slow and singing
- Molto adagio: very slow
Playing at Adagio
- Learn it slower first. Practise well under Adagio until every note is right and even, then raise the metronome a few beats at a time.
- Feel the character, not just the number. A slow tempo still needs a pulse: keep the line moving from one note to the next, so it never stalls.
- Count one bar before you start, at the speed you mean to play, so the first notes are already in tempo.
Every tempo marking
| 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 |
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
How fast is Adagio?
Usually 66 to 76 BPM (beats per minute). Books and metronomes differ a little; the composer's piece, and your hands, have the final say.
What does Adagio mean?
Adagio is Italian for at ease (Italian “ad agio”). In music it means slow and expressive, with room to breathe: the tempo of the great slow movements.
Is Adagio fast or slow?
Slow. Slower than Andante (76–108 BPM) and faster than Larghetto (60–66 BPM).
What famous pieces are marked Adagio?
Beethoven, Moonlight Sonata, first movement: Adagio sostenuto; Beethoven, Pathétique Sonata, second movement: Adagio cantabile; Barber, Adagio for Strings (marked Molto adagio).