Tempo markings · Moderato
Moderato
Moderato means a moderate, comfortable speed: usually 108 to 120 BPM. It's Italian for moderate. 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 Moderato?
About 108–120 BPM, with 114 a good middle. A moderate, comfortable speed: not hurried, not held back. 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 Moderato as a character as much as a speed.
Pieces marked Moderato
- Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 2, first movement
Moderato with other words
Composers often add a word or two to fine-tune it:
- Allegro moderato: moderately fast
- Moderato cantabile: moderate and singing
Playing at Moderato
- Learn it slower first. Practise well under Moderato until every note is right and even, then raise the metronome a few beats at a time.
- Feel the character, not just the number. Let the music breathe at the ends of phrases, even inside a steady pulse.
- 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 Moderato?
Usually 108 to 120 BPM (beats per minute). Books and metronomes differ a little; the composer's piece, and your hands, have the final say.
What does Moderato mean?
Moderato is Italian for moderate. In music it means a moderate, comfortable speed: not hurried, not held back.
Is Moderato fast or slow?
Moderate. Slower than Allegretto (112–120 BPM) and faster than Andantino (80–108 BPM).
What famous pieces are marked Moderato?
Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 2, first movement.