Tempo markings · Presto
Presto
Presto means very fast: usually 176 to 200 BPM. It's Italian for quickly. 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 Presto?
About 176–200 BPM, with 188 a good middle. Very fast: brilliant, often breathless. 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 Presto as a character as much as a speed.
Pieces marked Presto
- Beethoven, Moonlight Sonata, third movement: Presto agitato
- Vivaldi, Summer from The Four Seasons, third movement
Presto with other words
Composers often add a word or two to fine-tune it:
- Presto agitato: very fast and agitated
- Presto con fuoco: very fast, with fire
Playing at Presto
- Learn it slower first. Practise well under Presto 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 Presto?
Usually 176 to 200 BPM (beats per minute). Books and metronomes differ a little; the composer's piece, and your hands, have the final say.
What does Presto mean?
Presto is Italian for quickly. In music it means very fast: brilliant, often breathless.
Is Presto fast or slow?
Fast. Slower than Prestissimo (200+ BPM) and faster than Vivace (156–176 BPM).
What famous pieces are marked Presto?
Beethoven, Moonlight Sonata, third movement: Presto agitato; Vivaldi, Summer from The Four Seasons, third movement.