Tempo markings · Allegro
Allegro
Allegro means fast and bright: usually 120 to 156 BPM. It's Italian for cheerful, bright. 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 Allegro?
About 120–156 BPM, with 138 a good middle. Fast and bright: the usual speed of a lively first movement. 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 Allegro as a character as much as a speed.
Pieces marked Allegro
- Mozart, Eine kleine Nachtmusik, first movement
- Mozart, Piano Sonata in C, K. 545, first movement
- Beethoven, Symphony No. 5, first movement: Allegro con brio
- Vivaldi, Spring from The Four Seasons, first movement
Allegro with other words
Composers often add a word or two to fine-tune it:
- Allegro con brio: fast, with fire
- Allegro ma non troppo: fast, but not too fast
- Allegro moderato: moderately fast
- Allegro assai: very fast
- Allegro vivace: fast and lively
Playing at Allegro
- Learn it slower first. Practise well under Allegro until every note is right and even, then raise the metronome a few beats at a time.
- Feel the character, not just the number. Fast music needs a relaxed hand: if your arm tightens, slow down until it doesn’t.
- 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 Allegro?
Usually 120 to 156 BPM (beats per minute). Books and metronomes differ a little; the composer's piece, and your hands, have the final say.
What does Allegro mean?
Allegro is Italian for cheerful, bright. In music it means fast and bright: the usual speed of a lively first movement.
Is Allegro fast or slow?
Fast. Slower than Vivace (156–176 BPM) and faster than Allegretto (112–120 BPM).
What famous pieces are marked Allegro?
Mozart, Eine kleine Nachtmusik, first movement; Mozart, Piano Sonata in C, K. 545, first movement; Beethoven, Symphony No. 5, first movement: Allegro con brio; Vivaldi, Spring from The Four Seasons, first movement.