Tempo Markings

Presto is an Italian tempo indication meaning ‘very fast’, typically ranging from 168 to 200 beats per minute, and is used across many musical styles to convey rapid motion.

Largo is an Italian tempo indication meaning “broadly” or “slowly”. It designates a very slow, stately pace, typically ranging from 40 to 60 beats per minute. The term appears in a wide variety of musical repertoire, from Baroque to contemporary works.

Allegro is an Italian tempo indication meaning ‘fast, lively’, commonly used in classical music to denote a brisk, upbeat speed.

Prestissimo is an Italian musical term indicating an extremely fast tempo, faster than presto. It is used across classical and contemporary repertoire to signal virtuosic speed, often exceeding 200 beats per minute.

Moderato is an Italian tempo marking indicating a moderate speed, typically ranging from about 108 to 120 beats per minute. It guides performers toward a balanced, neither too fast nor too slow, pace and appears in a wide variety of musical styles.

A metronome marking indicates the exact speed of a piece of music, usually expressed in beats per minute (BPM). It guides performers in maintaining a consistent tempo throughout a composition.

Andantino is an Italian tempo marking indicating a speed slightly faster than andante, though interpretations vary. It guides performers on a moderately brisk pace, often used in Classical and Romantic repertoire.

Tempo Primo is an Italian musical instruction meaning “the original tempo.” It tells performers to return to the initial speed after a temporary change such as a ritardando or accelerando.

Andante is an Italian tempo indication meaning “walking pace,” commonly used in Western classical music to denote a moderate, steady speed. It lies between slower tempos such as Adagio and faster ones like Allegro, and is often specified with metronome markings ranging from 76 to 108 beats per minute.

Allegretto is a musical tempo indication meaning a moderately fast, light, and graceful speed, positioned between Andante and Allegro.