Understanding Tempo

There are two primary ways that tempo can be expressed in written music. The most common method today is the use of tempo markings. The second way is through tempo terms.

Tempo Markings

A tempo marking is a symbol that has a note followed by an equal sign and a number. For example:

𝅘𝅥 = 120

On the left of the equal sign is the note that receives the beat - the note that is one beat in length.
On the right of the equal sign is the number of beats per minute.

For example:

𝅘𝅥 = 60 means the Quarter Note receives the beat (is one beat in length) and there are 60 beats per minute - one every second.
𝅗𝅥 = 80 means the Half Note receives the beat and there are 80 beats per minute.

You can easily compare a tempo marking to seconds by dividing the number by 60.

For a review of Quarter and Half Notes see Simple Rhythms.

To review Beats see Understanding Meter.

You can use a metronome and the tempo marking to hear the exact tempo. Try out differnt tempo markings using the metronome below.

Tempo Terms

Although any language can be used to set the tempo, the most common language used in the past was Italian. Below are some common Italian tempo terms you may encounter in music.

Largo - Broad, very slow

Lento - Slow

Adagio - Slow

Andante - Walking Tempo

Moderato - Moderate

Allegro - Fast

Vivace - Quick, lively

Presto - Very Fast

Ritardando (rit.) - Gradually becoming slower

Accelerando (accel.) - Gradually becoming faster

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