Tempo markings · Larghetto
Larghetto
Larghetto means a little faster and lighter than Largo: usually 60 to 66 BPM. It's Italian for a little broad. 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 Larghetto?
About 60–66 BPM, with 63 a good middle. A little faster and lighter than Largo: slow, but moving. 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 Larghetto as a character as much as a speed.
Pieces marked Larghetto
- Handel, Ombra mai fu from the opera Serse (the piece everyone calls “Handel's Largo”)
- Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 2, second movement
- Mozart, Clarinet Quintet, second movement
Playing at Larghetto
- Learn it slower first. Practise well under Larghetto 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 Larghetto?
Usually 60 to 66 BPM (beats per minute). Books and metronomes differ a little; the composer's piece, and your hands, have the final say.
What does Larghetto mean?
Larghetto is Italian for a little broad. In music it means a little faster and lighter than Largo: slow, but moving.
Is Larghetto fast or slow?
Slow. Slower than Adagio (66–76 BPM) and faster than Lento (40–60 BPM).
What famous pieces are marked Larghetto?
Handel, Ombra mai fu from the opera Serse (the piece everyone calls “Handel's Largo”); Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 2, second movement; Mozart, Clarinet Quintet, second movement.