Tempo markings · Lento
Lento
Lento means slow, without the breadth of Largo: usually 40 to 60 BPM. It's Italian for slow. 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 Lento?
About 40–60 BPM, with 50 a good middle. Slow, without the breadth of Largo: plain and unhurried. 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 Lento as a character as much as a speed.
Pieces marked Lento
- Chopin, Étude in E major, Op. 10 No. 3 (“Tristesse”): Lento ma non troppo
- Satie, Gymnopédie No. 1: “Lent et douloureux”, slow and sorrowful, the French for Lento
- Satie, Gnossienne No. 1: “Lent”
Lento with other words
Composers often add a word or two to fine-tune it:
- Lento ma non troppo: slow, but not too slow
- Lento assai: very slow
Playing at Lento
- Learn it slower first. Practise well under Lento 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 Lento?
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 Lento mean?
Lento is Italian for slow. In music it means slow, without the breadth of Largo: plain and unhurried.
Is Lento fast or slow?
Slow. Slower than Larghetto (60–66 BPM) and faster than Largo (40–60 BPM).
What famous pieces are marked Lento?
Chopin, Étude in E major, Op. 10 No. 3 (“Tristesse”): Lento ma non troppo; Satie, Gymnopédie No. 1: “Lent et douloureux”, slow and sorrowful, the French for Lento; Satie, Gnossienne No. 1: “Lent”.