In musical terminology, tempo (from Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given composition, and is often also an indication of the composition's character or atmosphere. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often using conventional Italian terms) and, if a specific metrical pace is desired, is usually measured in beats per minute (bpm or BPM). In modern classical compositions, a "metronome mark" in beats per minute, indicating only measured speed and not any form of expression, may supplement or replace the normal tempo marking, while in modern genres like electronic dance music, tempo will typically simply be stated in bpm.
Tempo (the underlying pulse of the music) is one of the three factors that give a piece of music its texture. The others are meter, which is indicated by a time signature, and articulation, which determines how each note is sounded and how notes are grouped into larger units. While the ability to hold a steady tempo is a vital skill for a musical performer, tempo is malleable. Depending on the genre of a piece of music and the performers' interpretation, a piece may be played with slight variations in tempo, known as tempo rubato, or significant variations. In ensembles, the tempo is often maintained by having players synchronise with a conductor or with a specific instrumentalist, for instance the first violin or the drummer.
Measurement
Although tempo is described or indicated in many different ways, including with a range of words (e.g., Slowly, Adagio, Quickly, Allegro), it is typically measured in beats per minute (bpm or BPM). For example, a tempo of 60 beats per minute signifies one beat per second, while a tempo of 120 beats per minute is twice as rapid, signifying two beats every second. The note value of a beat will typically be that indicated by the denominator of the time signature. For instance, in time, the beat will be a crotchet, or quarter note.
This measurement and indication of tempo became increasingly popular during the first half of the 19th century, after Johann Nepomuk Maelzel invented the metronome. Beethoven was one of the first composers to use the metronome; in the 1810s, he published metronomic indications for the eight symphonies he had composed up to that time.Some of these markings are today contentious, such as those on his "Hammerklavier" Sonata and Ninth Symphony, seeming to many to be almost impossibly fast, as is also the case for many of the works of Schumann. See "metronome" entry in .
With the advent of modern electronics, beats per minute became an extremely precise measure. Music sequencers use the bpm system to denote tempo. In popular music genres such as electronic dance music, accurate knowledge of a tune's bpm is important to DJs for the purposes of beatmatching.
The speed of a piece of music can also be gauged according to measures per minute (mpm) or bars per minute (bpm), the number of measures of the piece performed in one minute. This measure is commonly used in ballroom dance music.
Choosing speed In different musical contexts, different instrumental musicians, singers, conductors, bandleaders, music directors or other individuals will select the tempo of a song or piece. In a popular music or traditional music group or band, the bandleader or drummer may select the tempo. In popular and traditional music, whoever is setting the tempo often counts out one or two bars in tempo. In some songs or pieces in which a singer or solo instrumentalist begins the work with a solo introduction (prior to the start of the full group), the tempo they set will provide the tempo for the group.
In an orchestra or concert band, the conductor normally sets the tempo. In a marching band, the drum major may set the tempo. In a sound recording, in some cases, a record producer may set the tempo for a song (although this would be less likely with an experienced bandleader). Differences in tempo and its interpretation can differ between cultures, as shown by Curt Sachs when comparing Tunisian with Western Classical melodies, while certain genres display rhythmic variation in line with their forms, as occurs with flamenco and its palos.
Musical vocabulary
In classical music, it is customary to describe the tempo of a piece by one or more words, most commonly in Italian, in addition to or instead of a metronome mark in beats per minute. Italian is typically used because it was the language of most composers during the time these descriptions became commonplace in the Western musical lexicon.Randel, D., ed., The New Harvard Dictionary of Music, Harvard University Press, 1986, "Tempo" Some well-known Italian tempo indications include "Allegro" (English "Cheerful"), "Andante" ("Walking-pace") and "Presto" ("Quickly"). This practice developed during the 17th and 18th centuries, the baroque and classical periods. In the earlier Renaissance music, performers understood most music to flow at a tempo defined by the tactus (roughly the rate of the human heartbeat). The mensural time signature indicated which note value corresponded to the tactus.
In the Baroque period, pieces would typically be given an indication, which might be a tempo marking (e.g. Allegro), or the name of a dance (e.g. Allemande or Sarabande), the latter being an indication both of tempo and of metre. Any musician of the time was expected to know how to interpret these markings based on custom and experience. In some cases, however, these markings were simply omitted. For example, the first movement of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 has no tempo or mood indication whatsoever. Despite the increasing number of explicit tempo markings, musicians still observe conventions, expecting a minuet to be at a fairly stately tempo, slower than a Viennese waltz; a perpetuum mobile quite fast, and so on. Genres imply tempos, and thus, Ludwig van Beethoven wrote "In tempo d'un Menuetto" over the first movement of his Piano Sonata Op. 54, though that movement is not a minuet.
Many tempo markings also indicate mood and expression. For example, presto and allegro both indicate a speedy execution (presto being faster), but allegro also connotes joy (from its original meaning in Italian). Presto, on the other hand, simply indicates speed. Additional Italian words also indicate tempo and mood. For example, the "agitato" in the Allegro agitato of the last movement of George Gershwin's piano concerto in F has both a tempo indication (undoubtedly faster than a usual Allegro) and a mood indication ("agitated").
Often, composers (or music publishers) name movements of compositions after their tempo (or mood) marking. For instance, the second movement of Samuel Barber's first String Quartet is an Adagio.
Basic tempo markings
Here follows a list of common tempo markings. The beats per minute (bpm) values are very rough approximations for time, and vary widely according to composers and works. A metronome marking cannot be deduced from one of the descriptive Italian or non-Italian terms alone. Where both metronome marking and a word indication occur together, the verbal cue is often also intended to express a style or feeling, which a metronome marking alone cannot do.
It is therefore important to remember that the exact sense of many of these terms has changed over time. One striking example is the use of the term Allegretto. Between its early use in the 18th century and its later use from the 19th century onwards, it has experienced a slight increment in the tempo that it is intended to denote. Originally, it implied a tempo very slightly faster than Andante, whereas now it is often used to indicate one that is just a little slower than Allegro. A similar fate has befallen the terms Adagietto and Andantino.Charles Rosen suggests that many works marked "Allegretto" are nowadays played too quickly as a result of this confusion. Likewise, the terms Largo and Adagio have experienced a considerable shift with regards to the tempi, in beats per minute, that they are required to express: a modern Largo is slower than Adagio, but in the Baroque period it was faster."tempo", music theory online, Dolmetsch.com
Approximately from the slowest to the fastest Larghissimo – extremely slow, slowest type of tempo (24 bpm and under) Adagissimo and Grave – very slow and solemn (24–40 bpm) Largo – slow and broad (40–66 bpm) Larghetto – rather slow and broad (44–66 bpm) Lento – slow (40–60 bpm) Adagio – slow with great expression (44–66 bpm) Adagietto – slower than andante or slightly faster than adagio (46–80 bpm) Andante – at a walking pace, moderately slow (56–108 bpm) Andantino – slightly faster than andante, but slower than moderato (80–108 bpm) (although, in some cases, it can be taken to mean slightly slower than andante) Marcia moderato – moderately, in the manner of a march (66–80 bpm) Andante moderato – between andante and moderato (at a moderate walking speed) (80–108 bpm) Moderato – at a moderate speed (108–120 bpm) Allegretto – by the mid-19th century, moderately fast (112–120 bpm); see paragraph above for earlier usage Allegro moderato – close to, but not quite allegro (116–120 bpm) Allegro – fast and bright (120–156 bpm) Molto Allegro or Allegro vivace – at least slightly faster and livelier than allegro, but always at its range (and no faster than vivace) (124–156 bpm) Vivace – lively and fast (156–176 bpm) Vivacissimo and Allegrissimo – very fast, lively and bright (172–176 bpm) Presto – very fast (168–200 bpm) Prestissimo – extremely fast (200 bpm and over)
Additional terms A piacere or Ad libitum in Latin – the performer may use their own discretion with regard to tempo and rhythm; literally "at pleasure" Accelerando – gradually play faster Assai – (very) much A tempo – resume previous tempo Con Brio – with vigor Con grazia – with grace, or gracefully Con moto – Italian for "with movement"; can be combined with a tempo indication, e.g., Andante con moto Furioso or Furibondo – 'furiously' Lamentoso – sadly, plaintively L'istesso, L'istesso tempo, or Lo stesso tempo – at the same speed; L'istesso is used when the actual speed of the music has not changed, despite apparent signals to the contrary, such as changes in time signature or note length (half notes in could change to whole notes in , and they would all have the same duration)"Istesso tempo" entry in For a modern example of L'istesso, see measures 4 and 130 of "Star Wars (Main Title)", . Ma non tanto – but not so much; used in the same way and has the same effect as Ma non troppo (see immediately below) but to a lesser degree Ma non troppo – but not too much; used to modify a basic tempo to indicate that the basic tempo should be reined in to a degree; for example, Adagio ma non troppo to mean "Slow, but not too much", Allegro ma non troppo to mean "Fast, but not too much" Maestoso – majestically, stately Molto – very Meno – less Più – more Poco – little Rall. or "Rallentando" – opposite of Accelerando Subito – suddenly Tempo comodo – at a comfortable speed Tempo di... – the speed of a ... (such as Tempo di valse (speed of a waltz, ≈ 60 bpm or ≈ 126 bpm), Tempo di marcia (speed of a march, ≈ 120 bpm)) Tempo giusto – at a consistent speed, at the 'right' speed, in strict tempo Tempo primo – resume the original (first) tempo Tempo semplice – simple, regular speed, plainly
French tempo markings Several composers have written markings in French, among them baroque composers François Couperin and Jean-Philippe Rameau as well as Claude Debussy, Olivier Messiaen, Maurice Ravel and Alexander Scriabin. Erik Satie was known to write extensive tempo (and character) markings by defining them in a poetical and literal way, as in his Gnossiennes.Gnossiennes music sheet, IMSLP Music Library Common tempo markings in French are: