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Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for "time"; plural tempos, or tempi from the Italian plural) is
the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction
at the start of a piece (often using conventional Italian terms) and is usually measured in beats per
minute (or bpm). In modern classical compositions, a "metronome mark" in beats per minute 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 may be separated from articulation and meter, or these aspects may be indicated along with
tempo, all contributing to the overall texture. While the ability to hold a steady tempo is a vital skill
for a musical performer, tempo is changeable. Depending on the genre of a piece of music and the
performers' interpretation, a piece may be played with slight tempo rubato or drastic variances. In
ensembles, the tempo is often indicated by a conductor or by one of the instrumentalists, for instance
the drummer.
Contents
Measurement
Choosing speed
Musical vocabulary
Basic tempo markings
Additional terms
French tempo markings
German tempo markings
English tempo markings
Variation through a piece
Terms for change in tempo
Modern classical music
Electronic music
Extreme tempo
Beatmatching
See also
Citations
General sources
External links
Measurement
While tempo is described or indicated in many different ways, including with a range of words (e.g.,
"Slowly", "Adagio" and so on), 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 one beat every 0.5 seconds. The note value of a beat will
typically be that indicated by the denominator of the time signature. For instance, in 4
4 the beat will be
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With the advent of modern electronics, bpm became an extremely Electronic metronome,
Wittner model
precise measure. Music sequencers use the bpm system to denote
tempo.[2] 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.[3]
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.[4]
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).
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.[5] 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).[6] 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
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Viennese waltz; a perpetuum mobile quite fast, and so on. Genres imply tempos. 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.[7]
Often a particular musical form or genre implies its own tempo, so composers need place no further
explanation in the score. Popular music charts use terms such as bossa nova, ballad, and Latin rock
in much the same way. Lead sheets and fake book music for jazz or popular music may use several
terms, and may include a tempo term and a genre term, such as "slow blues", "medium shuffle" or
"fast rock".
Here follows a list of common tempo markings. The beats per minute (bpm) values are very rough
approximations for 44 time.
These terms have also been used inconsistently through time and in different geographical areas. One
striking example is that Allegretto hastened as a tempo from the 18th to the 19th century: originally it
was just above Andante, instead of just below Allegro as it is now.[8] As another example, a modern
largo is slower than an adagio, but in the Baroque period it was faster.[9]
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Allegro – fast, quick, and bright (120–156 bpm) (molto allegro is slightly faster than allegro, but
always in its range; 124-156 bpm)
Vivace – lively and fast (156–176 bpm)
Vivacissimo – very fast and lively (172–176 bpm)
Allegrissimo or Allegro vivace – very fast (172–176 bpm)
Presto – very, very fast (168–200 bpm)
Prestissimo – even faster than presto (200 bpm and over)
Additional terms
A piacere – the performer may use their own discretion with regard to tempo and rhythm; literally
"at pleasure"[13]
Assai – (very) much
A tempo – resume previous tempo
Con moto – Italian for "with movement"; can be combined with a tempo indication, e.g., Andante
con moto
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 4 2
4 could change to whole notes in 2, and
they would all have the same duration)[14][15]
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″
Molto – very
Poco – a little
Subito – suddenly
Tempo comodo – at a comfortable (normal) speed
Tempo di... – the speed of a ... (such as Tempo di valzer (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
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. Common tempo markings in French are:
Vite – fast
Rapide – rapidly
Erik Satie was known to write extensive tempo (and character) markings by defining them in a
poetical and literal way, as in his Gnossiennes.[16]
Many composers have used German tempo markings. Typical German tempo markings are:
One of the first German composers to use tempo markings in his native language was Ludwig van
Beethoven. The one using the most elaborate combined tempo and mood markings was probably
Gustav Mahler. For example, the second movement of his Symphony No. 9 is marked Im Tempo
eines gemächlichen Ländlers, etwas täppisch und sehr derb, indicating a slowish folk-dance-like
movement, with some awkwardness and much vulgarity in the execution. Mahler would also
sometimes combine German tempo markings with traditional Italian markings, as in the first
movement of his sixth symphony, marked Allegro energico, ma non troppo. Heftig, aber markig
(Energetically quick, but not too much. Violent, but vigorous[18]).
English indications, for example quickly, have also been used, by Benjamin Britten and Percy
Grainger, among many others. In jazz and popular music lead sheets and fake book charts, terms like
"fast", "laid back", "steady rock", "medium", "medium-up", "ballad", "brisk", "brightly" "up", "slowly",
and similar style indications may appear. In some lead sheets and fake books, both tempo and genre
are indicated, e.g., "slow blues", "fast swing", or "medium Latin". The genre indications help rhythm
section instrumentalists use the correct style. For example, if a song says "medium shuffle", the
drummer plays a shuffle drum pattern; if it says "fast boogie-woogie", the piano player plays a
boogie-woogie bassline.
"Show tempo", a term used since the early days of Vaudeville, describes the traditionally brisk tempo
(usually 160–170 bpm) of opening songs in stage revues and musicals.
Humourist Tom Lehrer uses facetious English tempo markings in his anthology Too Many Songs by
Tom Lehrer. For example, "National Brotherhood Week" is to be played "fraternally"; "We Will All
Go Together" is marked "eschatologically"; and "Masochism Tango" has the tempo "painstakingly".
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It is also possible to indicate a more or less gradual change in tempo, for instance with an
accelerando (speeding up) or ritardando (rit., slowing down) marking. Indeed, some compositions
chiefly comprise accelerando passages, for instance Monti's Csárdás, or the Russian Civil War song
Echelon Song.
On the smaller scale, tempo rubato refers to changes in tempo within a musical phrase, often
described as some notes 'borrowing' time from others.
While the base tempo indication (such as Allegro) typically appears in large type above the staff,
adjustments typically appear below the staff or, in the case of keyboard instruments, in the middle of
the grand staff.
They generally designate a gradual change in tempo; for immediate tempo shifts, composers
normally just provide the designation for the new tempo. (Note, however, that when Più mosso or
Meno mosso appears in large type above the staff, it functions as a new tempo, and thus implies an
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immediate change.) Several terms, e.g., assai, molto, poco, subito, control how large and how gradual
a change should be (see common qualifiers).
After a tempo change, a composer may return to a previous tempo in two ways:
a tempo – returns to the base tempo after an adjustment (e.g. ritardando ... a tempo undoes the
effect of the ritardando).
Tempo primo or Tempo Io – denotes an immediate return to the piece's original base tempo after
a section in a different tempo (e.g. Allegro ... Lento ... Moderato ... Tempo Io indicates a return to
the Allegro). This indication often functions as a structural marker in pieces in binary form.
These terms also indicate an immediate, not a gradual, tempo change. Although they are Italian,
composers tend to employ them even if they have written their initial tempo marking in another
language.
While many composers have retained traditional tempo markings, sometimes requiring greater
precision than in any preceding period, others have begun to question basic assumptions of the
classical tradition like the idea of a consistent, unified, repeatable tempo. Graphic scores show tempo
and rhythm in a variety of ways. Polytemporal compositions deliberately utilise performers playing at
marginally different speeds. John Cage's compositions approach tempo in diverse ways. For instance
4′33″ has a defined duration, but no actual notes, while As Slow as Possible has defined proportions
but no defined duration, with one performance intended to last 639 years.
Electronic music
Extreme tempo
More extreme tempos are achievable at the same underlying tempo with very fast drum patterns,
often expressed as drum rolls. Such compositions often exhibit a much slower underlying tempo, but
may increase the tempo by adding additional percussive beats. Extreme metal subgenres such as
speedcore and grindcore often strive to reach unusually fast tempo. The use of extreme tempo was
very common in the fast bebop jazz from the 1940s and 1950s. A common jazz tune such as
"Cherokee" was often performed at quarter note equal to or sometimes exceeding 368 bpm. Some of
Charlie Parker's famous tunes ("Bebop", "Shaw Nuff") have been performed at 380 bpm plus.
Beatmatching
In popular music genres such as disco, house music and electronic dance music, beatmatching is a
technique that DJs use that involves speeding up or slowing down a record (or CDJ player, a speed-
adjustable CD player for DJ use) to match the tempo of a previous or subsequent track, so both can
be seamlessly mixed. Having beatmatched two songs, the DJ can either seamlessly crossfade from
one song to another, or play both tracks simultaneously, creating a layered effect.
DJs often beatmatch the underlying tempos of recordings, rather than their strict bpm value
suggested by the kick drum, particularly when dealing with high tempo tracks. A 240 bpm track, for
example, matches the beat of a 120 bpm track without slowing down or speeding up, because both
have an underlying tempo of 120 quarter notes per minute. Thus, some soul music (around 75–
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90 bpm) mixes well with a drum and bass beat (from 150–185 bpm). When speeding up or slowing
down a record on a turntable, the pitch and tempo of a track are linked: spinning a disc 10% faster
makes both pitch and tempo 10% higher. Software processing to change the pitch without changing
the tempo is called pitch-shifting. The opposite operation, changing the tempo without changing the
pitch, is called time-stretching.
See also
A capriccio Half-time (music)
Alla breve Multitemporal music
As Slow as Possible Stop-time
Bell pattern
Citations
1. 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 Apel (1969), p. 523.
2. Hans, Zimmer. "Music 101: What Is Tempo? How Is Tempo Used in Music?" (https://www.masterc
lass.com/articles/music-101-what-is-tempo-how-is-tempo-used-in-music#what-are-the-basic-temp
o-markings). Masterclass. Masterclass. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
3. Velankar, Makarland (2014). "A Pilot Study of Automatic Tempo Measurement in Rhythmic Music"
(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264212770).
4. "E. Rules for Competitions (Couples). Rule E.3 (Music)" (http://www.worlddancesport.org/Docume
nt/9032164613/WDSF_Competition_Rules.pdf) (PDF), WDSF Competition Rules (WDSF Rules &
Regulations), World DanceSport Federation, 2018-01-01, p. 19, retrieved 2018-01-20, "3.2 The
tempi for each dance shall be: Waltz 28‒30 bars/min, Tango 31‒33 bars/min, Viennese Waltz 58‒
60 bars/min, Slow Foxtrot 28‒30 bars/min, Quickstep 50‒52 bars/min; Samba 50‒52 bars/min,
Cha-Cha-Cha 30‒32 bars/min, Rumba 25‒27 bars/min, Paso Doble 60‒62 bars/min, Jive 42‒44
bars/min."
5. Randel, D., ed., The New Harvard Dictionary of Music, Harvard University Press, 1986, Tempo
6. Haar, James (14 July 2014). The Science and Art of Renaissance Music (https://books.google.co
m/books?id=0lMABAAAQBAJ). Princeton University Press. p. 408. ISBN 978-1-40-086471-3.
7. Heyman, Barbara B. (1994-05-12). Samuel Barber: the composer and his music (https://books.go
ogle.com/books?id=u6QGtHHtr6MC&q=second+movement+Samuel+Barber%27s+first+String+Q
uartet+is+an+Adagio.&pg=PA158). Oxford University Press. p. 158. ISBN 0-19-509058-6.
8. For an extensive discussion of this point see Rosen (2002:48–95). Rosen suggests that many
works marked "Allegretto" are nowadays played too quickly as a result of this confusion. Rosen,
Charles (2002). Beethoven's Piano Sonatas: A Short Companion (https://books.google.com/book
s?id=ApUUpgMzEPsC&pg=PA48#v=twopage&q&f=false). New Haven: Yale University Press.
9. music theory online: tempo (http://www.dolmetsch.com/musictheory5.htm), Dolmetsch.com
10. Elson, Louis Charles (1909). Elson's Pocket Music Dictionary: The Important Terms Used in
Music with Pronunciation and Concise Definition, Together with the Elements of Notation and a
Biographical List of Over Five Hundred Noted Names in Music (https://books.google.com/books?i
d=pgQ6AAAAIAAJ). Oliver Ditson.
11. American Symphony Orchestra League (1998). "Journal of the Conductors' Guild, Vols. 18–19" (h
ttps://books.google.com/books?id=zGcIAQAAMAAJ&q=Marcia). Journal of the Conductors' Guild.
Viena: The League: 27. ISSN 0734-1032 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0734-1032).
12. William E. Caplin; James Hepokoski; James Webster (2010). Musical Form, Forms &
Formenlehre: Three Methodological Reflections (https://books.google.com/books?id=YhAgAJDA
K9sC&q=marcia+moderato&pg=PT80). Leuven University Press. p. 80. ISBN 978-905-867-822-
5.
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13. Apel (1969), p. 42; for the literal translation see the online Italian–English dictionary at
WordReference.com.
14. "Istesso tempo" entry in Sadie (2001).
15. For a modern example of L'istesso, see measures 4 and 130 of Star Wars: Main Title, Williams
(1997), pp. 3 and 30.
16. Gnossiennes music sheet (http://imslp.org/wiki/Special:ImagefromIndex/03007), IMSLP Music
Library
17. Apel (1969), p. 92.
18. Italian translation, WordReference.com; German, Apel (1969).
19. "Affretando". Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1 (14 ed.). 1930. p. 282.
20. "Ritenuto" entry in Sadie (2001).
21. Apel (1969), p. 809.
22. Fallows, David (2001). "Ritardando". In Root, Deane L. (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music
and Musicians. Oxford University Press.
23. "Tempo Markings – Common Tempos in Italian, German, and French" (https://theonlinemetronom
e.com/metronome-tempo-markings-defined.html). theonlinemetronome.com. Retrieved
2019-08-16.
General sources
Books on tempo in music:
Epstein, David (1995). Shaping Time: Music, the Brain, and Performance. New York: Schirmer
Books. ISBN 0-02-873320-7.
Marty, Jean-Pierre (1988). The Tempo Indications of Mozart. New Haven: Yale University Press.
ISBN 0-300-03852-6.
Sachs, Curt (1953). Rhythm and Tempo: A Study in Music History. New York: Norton.
OCLC 391538 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/391538).
Snoman, Rick (2009). The Dance Music Manual: Tools, Toys, and Techniques – Second Edition.
Oxford, UK: Elsevier Press. ISBN 0-9748438-4-9.
Music dictionaries:
Apel, Willi, ed., Harvard Dictionary of Music, Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged. The Belknap
Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1969. ISBN 978-0-674-37501-7
Sadie, Stanley; John Tyrrell, eds. (2001). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd
edition. New York: Grove's Dictionaries. ISBN 1-56159-239-0.
Williams, John (1997). Star Wars: Suite for Orchestra. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corp. ISBN 978-
0-793-58208-2.
External links
Tempo Terminology, Virginia Tech department of music (http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/
appendix/tempo/tempo1.html)
Tempo indications for social dances (http://www.beatsperminuteonline.com/en/home/bpm-beats-p
er-minute-reference-for-dance-genres)
Tempo variation among and within 300+ recorded performances of Beethoven's 'Eroica'
Symphony (http://www.grunin.com/eroica)
Dolmetsch article on tempo (http://www.dolmetsch.com/musictheory5.htm)
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