# Tempo

The first two measures of Mozart's Sonata XI, which indicates the tempo as "Andante grazioso" and a modern editor's metronome marking: "♪ = 120".
**Tempo** (Italian for 'time' from the Latin *tempus*) is the speed of a song or piece of music. It is measured in beats per minute, or BPM. For example, if a song has 4 beats per bar at 100 BPM, there will be 25 bars per minute.

## Basic tempo markings

From slowest to fastest:

* *Larghissimo* – extremely slow (24 BPM and under)
* *Grave* – slow and solem (25–41 BPM)
* *Lento* – very slow (38–57 BPM)
* *Largo* – slowly (47–60 BPM)
* *Larghetto* – quite broadly (52–64 BPM)
* *Adagio* – slow and stately (60–74 BPM)
* *Adagietto* – quite slow (60-68 BPM)
* *Andante* – at a walking pace (76–97 BPM)
* *Moderato* – moderately (98–112 BPM)
* *Allegretto* – by the mid-19th century, moderately fast (102–110 BPM)
* *Allegro* – fast, quickly and bright (115–143 BPM) (molto allegro is slightly faster than allegro, but always in its range; 124-146 BPM).
* *Vivace* – lively and fast (136–160 BPM)
* *Presto* – very quickly (162–200 BPM)
* *Prestissimo* – extremely fast, even faster than presto (201 BPM and over)

Terms for tempo change:

* *Ritardando* – little by little slowing down
* *Ritenuto* - slow down suddenly
* *Accelerando* – gradually accelerating
* Rallentando - slowing down

## Additional terms

* *A piacere* – literally "at pleasure"
* *A tempo* – at the same speed from the beginning
* *L'istesso tempo* or *Lo stesso tempo* – at the same speed
* *Tempo comodo* – at a comfortable (normal) speed
* *Tempo di...* – the speed of a ... (such as *Tempo di valse* (speed of a waltz, ≈60 bpm), *Tempo di marcia* (speed of a march, ≈120 bpm))
* *Tempo semplice* – simple, regular speed, plainly

## Common qualifiers

* *alla* – in the manner or style of, as in:
	+ *alla breve* – in short style,
	+ *alla marcia* – in the style of a march (e.g., Beethoven, op. 101)
	+ *all' ongarese* – in Hungarian style
	+ *alla (danza) tedesca* – in the style of the Ländler (c. 1800), and similar dances in rather quick triple meter (see Beethoven, op. 79, op. 130)
	+ *alla turca* – in the Turkish style, that is, in imitation of Turkish military music (Janizary music), which became popular in Europe in the late 18th century (e.g., Mozart, K. 331, K. 384)
	+ *alla zingarese* – in the style of Gypsy music
* *assai* – very much, as in *allegro assai*, quite fast
* *ben* – well, as in *ben marcato* (well marked or accented)
* con – with,
	+ *con bravura* – with skill
	+ *con brio* – with vigor and spirit
	+ *con fuoco* – with fire
	+ *con moto* – with motion
* *fugato* – in fugal style,
* *in modo* – in the style of, in the style of: *in modo napolitano* (in Neapolitan style), *in modo di marcia funebre* (in the style of a funeral march)
* *meno* – less, as in *meno mosso* (less quickly)
* *appena* – almost none,
* *misterioso* – mysterious
* *molto* – much, very, as in *molto allegro* (very quick) or *molto adagio* (very slow)
* *non troppo* – not too much, e.g. *allegro non troppo* (or *allegro ma non troppo*) means "fast, but not too much"
* *non tanto* – not so much
* *più* – more, as in *più allegro* (more quickly);
* *poco* – little, as in *Poco adagio*
* *poco a poco* – little by little, bit by bit
* *quasi* – like a ... (*Più allegro quasi presto*, "faster, like presto")
* *senza* – without, as in *senza interruzione* (without pause), *senza tempo*
* *sostenuto* – sustained, prolonged
* *subito* – suddenly