Tempo markings · Grave
Grave
Grave means the slowest marking of all: usually 20 to 40 BPM. It's Italian for serious, heavy (the same word as English “grave”). 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 Grave?
About 20–40 BPM, with 30 a good middle. The slowest marking of all: solemn and weighty, every beat given its full weight. 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 Grave as a character as much as a speed.
Pieces marked Grave
- Beethoven, Pathétique Sonata, Op. 13: the slow opening of the first movement is marked Grave, before the Allegro bursts in
Playing at Grave
- Learn it slower first. Practise well under Grave 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 Grave?
Usually 20 to 40 BPM (beats per minute). Books and metronomes differ a little; the composer's piece, and your hands, have the final say.
What does Grave mean?
Grave is Italian for serious, heavy (the same word as English “grave”). In music it means the slowest marking of all: solemn and weighty, every beat given its full weight.
Is Grave fast or slow?
Slow. Slower than Largo (40–60 BPM).
What famous pieces are marked Grave?
Beethoven, Pathétique Sonata, Op. 13: the slow opening of the first movement is marked Grave, before the Allegro bursts in.