Tempo markings · Largo
Largo
Largo means very slow and broad: usually 40 to 60 BPM. It's Italian for broad, wide. 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 Largo?
About 40–60 BPM, with 50 a good middle. Very slow and broad: long notes, a wide, spacious line. 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 Largo as a character as much as a speed.
Pieces marked Largo
- Chopin, Prelude in E minor, Op. 28 No. 4
- Dvořák, Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”, second movement (the famous cor anglais tune)
- Handel's aria Ombra mai fu, known everywhere as “Handel's Largo”, though Handel actually marked it Larghetto
Largo with other words
Composers often add a word or two to fine-tune it:
- Largo e mesto: broad and sad
- Largo assai: very broad
Playing at Largo
- Learn it slower first. Practise well under Largo 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 Largo?
Usually 40 to 60 BPM (beats per minute). Books and metronomes differ a little; the composer's piece, and your hands, have the final say.
What does Largo mean?
Largo is Italian for broad, wide. In music it means very slow and broad: long notes, a wide, spacious line.
Is Largo fast or slow?
Slow. Slower than Lento (40–60 BPM) and faster than Grave (20–40 BPM).
What famous pieces are marked Largo?
Chopin, Prelude in E minor, Op. 28 No. 4; Dvořák, Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”, second movement (the famous cor anglais tune); Handel's aria Ombra mai fu, known everywhere as “Handel's Largo”, though Handel actually marked it Larghetto.