Tempo

**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)
- Presto dur -- Very faster dur (172- 198 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