The Complete Idiot''s Guide to Music Theory

Chapter 7:Tempo, Dynamics, and Navigation

Italian Tempo Terms

Tempo Means ...

Slow Tempos (40–75 bpm)

grave Very slow; solemn

largo Slow and dignified

larghetto A little faster than largo

lento Slow

adagio Moderately slow

adagietto A little faster than adagio

Moderate Tempos (70–115 bpm)

andante A “walking” tempo

andantino A little faster than andante

moderato Moderate pace

allegretto Not quite as fast as allegro

Fast Tempos (110–220 bpm)

allegro Fast, cheerful

vivace Lively

presto Very fast

prestissimo Very, very fast

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These tempo markings are very approximate, and even the order is not 100 per-
cent observed. The important thing the Italian terms try to get across is the
“spirit” of the music. For example, the word allegro in Italian really means
“cheerful.” When these markings are used, the precise tempo is always left to
the discretion of the orchestra’s conductor.

So when you see a piece of music marked “Allegro,” such as Bach’s Brandenburg
Concerto No. 6, you know that it should be played fairly fast. If you see a piece
marked “Largo,” like the second movement of Dvor ̆ ák’s New World Symphony,
you know that the tempo should be fairly slow. This method isn’t terribly pre-
cise, but it will get you in the ballpark.

Sometimes you’ll

see these tempo

terms accompanied

by the word molto,

which means “very.” So if

you see molto vivace, you

know that the music should

be played “very lively.”

Tip

Specifying tempo using traditional Italian terms.