Title: Tempo Content: Tempo (Italian for 'time, movement') 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 – very, very slow (24 BPM and under) * Grave – slow and solemn (25–45 BPM) * Lento – very slow (40–60 BPM) * Langsam - slow but broad (40-60 BPM) * Largo – slowly (45–50 BPM) * Larghetto – quite broadly (60–69 BPM) * Adagio – slow and stately (66–76 BPM) * Adagietto – quite slow (72–76 BPM) * Andante – at a walking pace (76–108 BPM) * Andantino – quite faster than andante (but some cases it means a bit slower than andante) (80–108 BPM) * Marcia moderato – moderately, in the style of a march (83–85 BPM) * Andante moderato – between andante and moderato (thus the name) (92–98 BPM) * Moderato – moderately (98–112 BPM) *Allegretto – by the mid-19th century, moderately fast (102–110 BPM) * Allegro Moderato - moderately cheerful (116–120 BPM) * Allegro – fast, quickly and bright (120–156 BPM) (molto allegro is slightly faster than allegro, but always in its range; 124-156 BPM). * Vivace – lively and fast (156–176 BPM) * Vivacissimo – very fast and lively (172–176 BPM) * Allegrissimo – very fast (172–176 BPM) * Presto – very, very fast (168–200 BPM) * Prestissimo – extremely fast, even faster than presto (200 BPM and over) Terms for tempo change: * Ritardando – little by little slowing down * Ritenuto - slow down suddenly * Accelerando – gradually accelerating ==Additional Terms== * A piacere – literally "at pleasure"Apel (1969), p. 42; for the literal translation see the online Italian-English dictionary at WordReference.com. * 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 marchApel (1969), p. 505. (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)Apel (1969), p. 834. ** 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 fastApel (1969), p. 61. * ben – well, as in ben marcato (well marked or accented) * con – with, ** con bravura – with skillOnline Italian- English dictionary at WordReference.com. ** con brio – with vigor and spiritApel (1969), p. 112. ** 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)Apel (1969), p. 520. * appena – almost none, * misterioso – mysterious * molto – much, very, as in molto allegro (very quick) or molto adagio (very slow)Apel (1969), p. 537. * 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