Tempo markings · Changing speed
Ritardando
Ritardando (rit. or ritard.) means slowing down. Hear the same tune played straight, then with a ritardando.
The opening of Beethoven's Ode to Joy. Watch the BPM as it plays.
What it means
Gradually slower. You'll see it written rit. or ritard., usually near the end of a piece or a section, and it lasts until the music says a tempo or the piece ends.
Rallentando (rall.) means almost the same and is often used interchangeably. Some musicians hear rallentando as a broader, more gradual slowing; ritenuto (riten.) is a sudden holding back, slower at once rather than gradually.
Where you'll meet it
Most pieces you play end with a ritardando, written or not: the last phrase of Silent Night or Amazing Grace sounds wrong played strictly in time.
Other words for changing speed
| Word | Written | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ritardando | rit. or ritard. | slowing down |
| Accelerando | accel. | getting faster |
| Rubato | rubato or tempo rubato | “robbed” time: stretching and catching up |
| A tempo | a tempo | back to the original speed |
| Rallentando | rall. | gradually slower (like ritardando) |
| Ritenuto | riten. | held back: slower at once |
| Stringendo | string. | pressing on: faster and more intense |
| Più mosso / meno mosso | faster / slower, at once | |
| Tempo primo | Tempo I | back to the speed at the start |
Shaping 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 slowing-down that comes too late. Then it shows you how it should go.
Questions people ask
What does Ritardando mean in music?
Gradually slower.
How is Ritardando written?
Rit. or ritard..
What is the difference between ritardando and rallentando?
Very little: both mean gradually slower, and most musicians treat them the same. Ritenuto is different: slower at once, not gradually.