Tempo notation

Tempo markings indicate how fast or slow music should be played. Traditionally Italian words have been used to indicate tempo, but composers can also use words in their own language to tell performers how fast or slow to play or sing.

1. What are tempo markings?
2. What are the 5 tempo markings?
3. How do you write tempo?
4. What are the tempo markings from slowest to fastest?

What are tempo markings?

A tempo marking that is a word or phrase gives you the composer's idea of how fast the music should feel. ... When possible, listening to a professional play the piece can help with tempo decisions, but it is also reasonable for different performers to prefer slightly different tempos for the same piece.

What are the 5 tempo markings?

What Are the Basic Tempo Markings?

• Larghissimo—very, very slow, almost droning (20 BPM and below)
• Grave—slow and solemn (20–40 BPM)
• Lento—slowly (40–60 BPM)
• Largo—the most commonly indicated “slow” tempo (40–60 BPM)
• Larghetto—rather broadly, and still quite slow (60–66 BPM)

How do you write tempo?

Tempo markings are usually written as a word that corresponds with a number, which you will see below, or in beats per minute (bpm). For example, Allegro means fast and is a tempo between 120 bpm and 168 bpm. The composer could write Allegro or 120bpm.

What are the tempo markings from slowest to fastest?

slowest to fastest:

• Larghissimo – very, very slow (19 BPM and under)
• Grave – slow and solemn (20–40 BPM)
• Lento – slowly (40–45 BPM)
• Largo – broadly (45–50 BPM)
• Larghetto – rather broadly (50–55 BPM)
• Adagio – slow and stately (literally, "at ease") (55–65 BPM)
• Adagietto – rather slow (65–69 BPM)