Keep the beat
A snippet of tempo directions doing what they do best
Common tempo directions Learn these and set yourself up for the future
In addition to some of the more flamboyant
Italian tempo directions, there are a select few
that you will come across time and time again.
Concentrate on these to begin with, and you
will be off to a good start. There are also
phrases that can link tempo instructions
together, for example molto means ‘very’, so
you may spot molto vivace which means very
lively. You may also come across moderato,
which as you may guess means ‘moderately’,
for example moderato vivace.
“There are phrases
that can link tempo
instructions together”
Top tip
Set the mood
As well as general directions,
there are plenty of Italian terms
that indicate both the mood
and the tempo of a musical
arrangement. Some good
examples are appassionato
(passionately), misterioso
(mysteriously) or
tenerezza (tenderly).
Accelerando
In our example, you should get faster
throughout bar 2 ; however, you’re likely to
see this instruction for several more bars
Back to normal
An accelerando or ritardando instruction will often
be accompanied by an ‘a tempo’ one. This means
to return the original tempo of the piece
Define the style
You can also gain a very good idea
of the composer’s intention for the
style or mood of the piece simply by
looking at the tempo directions
Fermata
There are symbols that
can dictate tempo.
Here the power is in
the player’s hands
with a fermata, so
these notes can be
extended for as long
as desired
Word Meaning
Adagio Leisurely
Allegro Fast and lively
Andante Moderate, walking pace
Grave The slowest pace
Lento Slow
Poco a poco Gradually
Presto Very fast
Sostenuto Sustained