Tempo markings · Prestissimo
Prestissimo
Prestissimo means the fastest marking there is: usually 200+ BPM. It's Italian for as fast as possible. 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 Prestissimo?
About 200+ BPM, with 220 a good middle. The fastest marking there is: as fast as you can play it cleanly. 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 Prestissimo as a character as much as a speed.
Pieces marked Prestissimo
- Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 30, Op. 109, second movement
Playing at Prestissimo
- Learn it slower first. Practise well under Prestissimo until every note is right and even, then raise the metronome a few beats at a time.
- Feel the character, not just the number. Fast music needs a relaxed hand: if your arm tightens, slow down until it doesn’t.
- 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 Prestissimo?
Usually 200+ BPM (beats per minute). Books and metronomes differ a little; the composer's piece, and your hands, have the final say.
What does Prestissimo mean?
Prestissimo is Italian for as fast as possible. In music it means the fastest marking there is: as fast as you can play it cleanly.
Is Prestissimo fast or slow?
Fast. Faster than Presto (176–200 BPM).
What famous pieces are marked Prestissimo?
Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 30, Op. 109, second movement.