In
musical terminology
A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in Sheet music, printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms Italian musical terms used in English, are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many Europea ...
, tempo (
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given
piece
Piece or Pieces (not to be confused with peace) may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Games
* Piece (chess), pieces deployed on a chessboard for playing the game of chess
* ''Pieces'' (video game), a 1994 puzzle game for the Super NES
* ...
. 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
The minute is a unit of time usually equal to (the first sexagesimal fraction) of an hour, or 60 seconds. In the UTC time standard, a minute on rare occasions has 61 seconds, a consequence of leap seconds (there is a provision to insert a nega ...
(or bpm). In modern classical compositions, a "
metronome
A metronome, from ancient Greek μέτρον (''métron'', "measure") and νομός (nomós, "custom", "melody") is a device that produces an audible click or other sound at a regular interval that can be set by the user, typically in beats pe ...
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
The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its pref ...
, or these aspects may be indicated along with tempo, all contributing to the overall
texture
Texture may refer to:
Science and technology
* Surface texture, the texture means smoothness, roughness, or bumpiness of the surface of an object
* Texture (roads), road surface characteristics with waves shorter than road roughness
* 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 Tempo rubato (, , ; 'free in the presentation', literally ) is a musical term referring to expressive and rhythmic freedom by a slight speeding up and then slowing down of the tempo of a piece at the discretion of the soloist or the conductor. Rub ...
or drastic variances. In ensembles, the tempo is often indicated by a
conductor or by one of the instrumentalists, for instance the
drummer
A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...
.
Measurement
![Electronic-metronome(scale)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Electronic-metronome%28scale%29.jpg)
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 two beats every second. The
note value
In music notation, a note value indicates the relative duration of a note, using the texture or shape of the '' notehead'', the presence or absence of a ''stem'', and the presence or absence of ''flags/ beams/hooks/tails''. Unmodified note valu ...
of a beat will typically be that indicated by the denominator of the
time signature
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...
. For instance, in the beat will be a
crotchet
A quarter note (American) or crotchet ( ) (British) is a musical note played for one quarter of the duration of a whole note (or semibreve). Quarter notes are notated with a filled-in oval note head and a straight, flagless stem. The stem u ...
, or ''quarter note''.
This measurement and indication of tempo became increasingly popular during the first half of the 19th century, after
Johann Nepomuk Maelzel
A metronome by Maelzel, Paris, 1815.
Johann Nepomuk Maelzel (or Mälzel; August 15, 1772 – July 21, 1838) was a German inventor, engineer, and showman, best known for manufacturing a metronome and several music-playing automatons, and displayin ...
invented the
metronome
A metronome, from ancient Greek μέτρον (''métron'', "measure") and νομός (nomós, "custom", "melody") is a device that produces an audible click or other sound at a regular interval that can be set by the user, typically in beats pe ...
.
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
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.
Instead of beats per minute, some 20th-century classical composers (e.g.,
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók (; ; 25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as H ...
,
Alberto Ginastera
Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (; April 11, 1916June 25, 1983) was an Argentinian composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most important 20th-century classical composers of the Americas.
Biography
Ginastera was born in Buen ...
, and
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading fi ...
) specify the total playing time for a piece, from which the performer can derive tempo.
With the advent of modern electronics, bpm became an extremely precise measure.
Music sequencer
A music sequencer (or audio sequencer or simply sequencer) is a device or application software that can record, edit, or play back music, by handling note and performance information in several forms, typically CV/Gate, MIDI, or Open Sound Cont ...
s 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
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...
for the purposes of
beatmatching
Beatmatching or pitch cue is a disc jockey technique of pitch shifting or timestretching an upcoming track to match its tempo to that of the currently playing track, and to adjust them such that the beats (and, usually, the bars) are synchroni ...
.
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
measure
Measure may refer to:
* Measurement, the assignment of a number to a characteristic of an object or event
Law
* Ballot measure, proposed legislation in the United States
* Church of England Measure, legislation of the Church of England
* Mea ...
s of the piece performed in one minute. This measure is commonly used in
ballroom dance
Ballroom dance is a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world, mostly because of its performance and entertainment aspects. Ballroom dancing is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television. ...
music.
Choosing speed
In different musical contexts, different instrumental musicians, singers,
conductors,
bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or ...
s, music directors or other individuals will select the tempo of a song or piece. In a
popular music
Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...
or
traditional music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
group or band, the bandleader or
drummer
A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...
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
Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical, mechanical, electronic, or digital inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording te ...
, in some cases a
record producer
A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
may set the tempo for a song (although this would be less likely with an experienced bandleader).
Musical vocabulary
In
classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...
it is customary to describe the tempo of a piece by one or more words, most commonly in
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
, 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. 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
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
and
classical periods. In the earlier
Renaissance music
Renaissance music is traditionally understood to cover European music of the 15th and 16th centuries, later than the Renaissance era as it is understood in other disciplines. Rather than starting from the early 14th-century '' ars nova'', the Tr ...
, performers understood most music to flow at a tempo defined by the
tactus (roughly the rate of the human heartbeat).
The
mensural
Mensural notation is the musical notation system used for European vocal polyphonic music from the later part of the 13th century until about 1600. The term "mensural" refers to the ability of this system to describe precisely measured rhythmi ...
time signature
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...
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
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
'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
A minuet (; also spelled menuet) is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually in time. The English word was adapted from the Italian ''minuetto'' and the French ''menuet''.
The term also describes the musical form that accompa ...
to be at a fairly stately tempo, slower than a
Viennese waltz
Viennese waltz (german: Wiener Walzer) is a genre of ballroom dance. At least four different meanings are recognized. In the historically first sense, the name may refer to several versions of the waltz, including the earliest waltzes done in b ...
; a
perpetuum mobile quite fast, and so on. Genres imply tempos. Thus,
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
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
George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...
'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
Movement may refer to:
Common uses
* Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece
* Motion, commonly referred to as movement
Arts, entertainment, and media
Literature
* "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy Fu ...
of compositions after their tempo (or mood) marking. For instance, the second movement of
Samuel Barber
Samuel Osmond Barber II (March 9, 1910 – January 23, 1981) was an American composer, pianist, conductor, baritone, and music educator, and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century. The music critic Donal Henahan said, "Proba ...
's first
String Quartet
The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinists ...
is an ''Adagio''.
Often a particular
musical form
In music, ''form'' refers to the structure of a musical composition or musical improvisation, performance. In his book, ''Worlds of Music'', Jeff Todd Titon suggests that a number of organizational elements may determine the formal structure of a ...
or
genre
Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...
implies its own tempo, so composers need place no further explanation in the score.
Popular music
Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...
charts use terms such as ''bossa nova'', ''ballad'', and ''Latin rock'' in much the same way.
Lead sheet
A lead sheet or fake sheet is a form of musical notation that specifies the essential elements of a popular song: the melody, lyrics and harmony. The melody is written in modern Western music notation, the lyric is written as text below the ...
s and
fake book
A lead sheet or fake sheet is a form of musical notation that specifies the essential elements of a popular song: the melody, lyrics and harmony. The melody is written in modern Western music notation, the lyric is written as text below the st ...
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".
Basic tempo markings
Here follows a list of common tempo markings. The beats per minute (bpm) values are very rough approximations for 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. As another example, a modern ''largo'' is slower than an ''adagio'', but in the Baroque period it was faster.
From slowest to fastest:
* ''Larghissimo'' – very, very slow (24 bpm and under)
* ''Adagissimo'' – very slow (24-40 bpm)
* ''Grave'' – very slow and solemn (25–45 bpm)
* ''Largo'' – slow and broad (40–60 bpm)
* ''Lento'' – slow (45–60 bpm)
* ''Larghetto'' – rather slow and broad (60–66 bpm)
* ''Adagio'' – slow with great expression (66–76 bpm)
* ''Adagietto'' – slower than ''andante'' (72–76 bpm) or slightly faster than ''adagio'' (70–80 bpm)
* ''Andante'' – at a walking pace, moderately slow (76–108 bpm)
* ''Andantino'' – slightly faster than ''andante'' (although, in some cases, it can be taken to mean slightly slower than ''andante'') (80–108 bpm)
* ''Marcia moderato'' – moderately, in the manner of a march (83–85 bpm)
* ''Andante moderato'' – between ''andante'' and ''moderato'' (thus the name) (92–112 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, quick, and bright (120–156 bpm)
* ''Molto Allegro –'' fast (124–156 bpm)
* ''Vivace'' – lively and fast (156–176 bpm)
* ''Vivacissimo or Vivacissimamente'' – very fast and lively (172–176 bpm)
* ''Allegrissimo'' or ''Allegro vivace'' – very fast and bright (172–176 bpm)
* ''Presto'' – very fast (168–200 bpm)
* ''Prestissimo'' – very, very fast (200 bpm and over) (At this tempo,
cut common time is often used)
Additional terms
* ''A piacere'' or ''
Ad libitum
In music and other performing arts, the phrase (; from Latin for 'at one's pleasure' or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun), refers to various forms of improvisation.
The r ...
'' 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 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)
* ''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'' – a little
* ''Subito'' – suddenly
* ''Tempo comodo'' – at a comfortable 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
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Marc ...
, ≈ 120 bpm))
* ''
Tempo giusto
''Tempo giusto'' () is a musical term that literally means 'in exact time', often directing a return to strict time following a period of rubato. It most commonly indicates a return to the main tempo after a temporary change (e.g. a rallentando). ...
'' – 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
François Couperin (; 10 November 1668 – 11 September 1733) was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was known as ''Couperin le Grand'' ("Couperin the Great") to distinguish him from other members of the musically talented ...
and
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Jean-Philippe Rameau (; – ) was a French composer and music theory, music theorist. Regarded as one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the 18th century, he replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of Fr ...
as well as
Claude Debussy
(Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...
,
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist who was one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex; harmonically ...
,
Maurice Ravel
Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...
and
Alexander Scriabin
Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin (; russian: Александр Николаевич Скрябин ; – ) was a Russian composer and virtuoso pianist. Before 1903, Scriabin was greatly influenced by the music of Frédéric Chopin and composed ...
. Common tempo markings in
French are:
* ''Au mouvement'' – play the (first or main) tempo.
* ''Grave'' – slowly and solemnly
* ''Lent'' – slowly
* ''Moins'' – less, as in ''Moins vite'' (less fast)
* ''Modéré'' – at a moderate tempo
* ''Vif'' – lively
* ''Très'' – very, as in ''Très vif'' (very lively)
* ''Vite'' – fast
* ''Rapide'' – rapidly
Erik Satie
Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (, ; ; 17 May 18661 July 1925), who signed his name Erik Satie after 1884, was a French composer and pianist. He was the son of a French father and a British mother. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, but was an und ...
was known to write extensive tempo (and character) markings by defining them in a poetical and literal way, as in his Gnossiennes.
German tempo markings
Many composers have used
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
tempo markings. Typical German tempo markings are:
* ''Kräftig'' – vigorous or powerful
* ''Langsam'' – slowly
* ''Lebhaft'' – lively (mood)
* ''Mäßig'' – moderately
* ''Rasch'' – quickly
* ''Schnell'' – fast
* ''Bewegt'' – animated, with motion
One of the first German composers to use tempo markings in his native language was
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
, but only sparsely.
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...
followed afterwards with increasingly specific markings, and later composers like
Hindemith
Paul Hindemith (; 16 November 189528 December 1963) was a German composer, music theorist, teacher, violist and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major advocate of the ' ...
and
Mahler
Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...
would further elaborate on combined tempo and mood instructions in German. For example, the second
movement of Mahler's
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).
English tempo markings
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
indications, for example ''quickly'', have also been used, by
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...
and
Percy Grainger
Percy Aldridge Grainger (born George Percy Grainger; 8 July 188220 February 1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who lived in the United States from 1914 and became an American citizen in 1918. In the course of a long an ...
, among many others. In
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
and
popular music
Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...
lead sheet
A lead sheet or fake sheet is a form of musical notation that specifies the essential elements of a popular song: the melody, lyrics and harmony. The melody is written in modern Western music notation, the lyric is written as text below the ...
s and
fake book
A lead sheet or fake sheet is a form of musical notation that specifies the essential elements of a popular song: the melody, lyrics and harmony. The melody is written in modern Western music notation, the lyric is written as text below the st ...
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
A rhythm section is a group of musicians within a music ensemble or band that provides the underlying rhythm, harmony and pulse of the accompaniment, providing a rhythmic and harmonic reference and "beat" for the rest of the band.
The rhythm sec ...
instrumentalists use the correct style. For example, if a song says "medium shuffle", the drummer plays a
shuffle
Shuffling is a procedure used to randomize a deck of playing cards to provide an element of chance in card games. Shuffling is often followed by a cut, to help ensure that the shuffler has not manipulated the outcome.
__TOC__
Techniques
Over ...
drum pattern; if it says "fast boogie-woogie", the piano player plays a
boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, developed in African-American communities since 1870s.Paul, Elliot, ''That Crazy American Music'' (1957), Chapter 10, p. 229. It was eventually extended from pi ...
bassline.
"Show tempo", a term used since the early days of
Vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
, describes the traditionally brisk tempo (usually 160–170 bpm) of opening songs in
stage revues and musicals.
Humourist
Tom Lehrer
Thomas Andrew Lehrer (; born April 9, 1928) is an American former musician, singer-songwriter, satirist, and mathematician, having lectured on mathematics and musical theater. He is best known for the pithy and humorous songs that he recorded in ...
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". His English contemporaries
Flanders and Swann
Flanders and Swann were a British comedy duo. Lyricist, actor and singer Michael Flanders (1922–1975) and composer and pianist Donald Swann (1923–1994) collaborated in writing and performing comic songs. They first worked together in a scho ...
have similarly marked scores, with the music for their song "The Whale (Moby Dick)" shown as "oceanlike and vast".
Variation through a piece
Tempo is not necessarily fixed. Within a piece (or within a movement of a longer work), a composer may indicate a complete change of tempo, often by using a
double bar
In musical notation, a bar (or measure) is a segment of time corresponding to a specific number of beats in which each beat is represented by a particular note value and the boundaries of the bar are indicated by vertical bar lines. Dividing mu ...
and introducing a new tempo indication, often with a new
time signature
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...
and/or
key signature
In Western musical notation, a key signature is a set of sharp (), flat (), or rarely, natural () symbols placed on the staff at the beginning of a section of music. The initial key signature in a piece is placed immediately after the clef at ...
.
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
The ''Echelon Song'' (russian: Эшелонная есня}), also known as ''Song for Voroshilov'' () or ''Battle of the Red Guards'' (), is a Russian song written in 1933 by A. V. Alexandrov (music) and Osip Kolychev (lyrics), dedicated to K ...
.
On the smaller scale,
tempo rubato Tempo rubato (, , ; 'free in the presentation', literally ) is a musical term referring to expressive and rhythmic freedom by a slight speeding up and then slowing down of the tempo of a piece at the discretion of the soloist or the conductor. Rub ...
refers to changes in tempo within a
musical phrase
In music theory, a phrase ( gr, φράση) is a unit of Meter (music), musical meter that has a complete musical sense of its own, built from figure (music), figures, motif (music), motifs, and Cell (music), cells, and combining to form Melody ...
, often described as some notes 'borrowing' time from others.
Terms for change in tempo
Composers may use expressive marks to adjust the tempo:
* ''Accelerando'' – speeding up (abbreviation: ''accel.'') Opposite of Ritardando, it is an Italian term pronounced as
ht-che-le-rahn-dawand is defined by gradually increasing the tempo until the next tempo mark is noted. It is either marked by a dashed line or simply its abbreviation.
* ''Affrettando'' – speeding up with a suggestion of anxiety
* ''Allargando'' – growing broader; decreasing tempo, usually near the end of a piece
* ''Calando'' – going slower (and usually also softer)
* ''Doppio movimento'' / ''doppio più mosso'' – double-speed
* ''Doppio più lento'' – half-speed
* ''Lentando'' – gradually slowing, and softer
* ''Meno mosso'' – less movement; slower
* ''Meno moto'' – less motion
* ''Più mosso'' – more movement; faster
* ''Mosso'' – movement, more lively; quicker, much like ''più mosso'', but not as extreme
* ''Precipitando'' – hurrying; going faster/forward
* ''Rallentando'' – a gradual slowing down (abbreviation: ''rall.'')
* ''Ritardando'' – slowing down gradually; also see rallentando and ritenuto (abbreviations: ''rit.'', ''ritard.'') sometimes replaces allargando.
* ''Ritenuto'' – slightly slower, but achieved more immediately than ''rallentando or'' ''ritardando''; a sudden decrease in tempo; temporarily holding back. (Note that the abbreviation for ''ritenuto'' can also be ''rit.'' Thus a more specific abbreviation is ''riten.'' Also, sometimes ''ritenuto'' does not reflect a tempo change but rather a 'character' change.)
* ''
Rubato Tempo rubato (, , ; 'free in the presentation', literally ) is a musical term referring to expressive and rhythmic freedom by a slight speeding up and then slowing down of the tempo of a piece at the discretion of the soloist or the conductor. Rub ...
'' – free adjustment of tempo for expressive purposes, literally "stolen"—so more strictly, to take time from one beat to slow another
* ''Slargando'' – gradually slowing down, literally "slowing down", "widening" or "stretching"
* ''
Stretto'' – in a faster tempo, often used near the conclusion of a section. (Note that in
fugal
In music, a fugue () is a contrapuntal compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject (a musical theme) that is introduced at the beginning in imitation (repetition at different pitches) and which recurs frequently in the c ...
compositions, the term ''stretto'' refers to the imitation of the subject in close succession, before the subject is completed, and as such, suitable for the close of the fugue. Used in this context, the term is not necessarily related to tempo.)
* ''Stringendo'' – pressing on faster, literally "tightening"
* ''Tardando'' – slowing down gradually (same as ''ritardando'')
*''Tempo Primo'' – resume the original tempo
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 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 I
o'' – denotes an immediate return to the piece's original base tempo after a section in a different tempo (e.g. ''Allegro ... Lento ... Moderato ... Tempo I
o'' indicates a return to the ''Allegro''). This indication often functions as a structural marker in pieces in
binary form
Binary form is a musical form in 2 related sections, both of which are usually repeated. Binary is also a structure used to choreograph dance. In music this is usually performed as A-A-B-B.
Binary form was popular during the Baroque period, of ...
.
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.
Tempo–rhythm interaction
One difficulty in defining tempo is the dependence of its perception on rhythm, and, conversely, the dependence of rhythm perception on tempo. Furthermore, the tempo-rhythm interaction is context dependent, as explained by
Andranik Tangian
Andranik Semovich Tangian (Melik-Tangyan) (Russian: Андраник Семович Тангян (Мелик-Тангян)); born March 29, 1952) is a Soviet Armenian-German mathematician, political economist and music theorist. Tangian is known ...
using an example of the leading rhythm of ″Promenade″ from
Modest Mussorgsky
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky ( rus, link=no, Модест Петрович Мусоргский, Modest Petrovich Musorgsky , mɐˈdɛst pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ ˈmusərkskʲɪj, Ru-Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky version.ogg; – ) was a Russian compo ...
's ''
Pictures at an Exhibition
''Pictures at an Exhibition'', french: Tableaux d'une exposition, link=no is a suite (music), suite of ten piano pieces, plus a recurring, varied Promenade theme, composed by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874. The piece is Mussorgsky's ...
'':
This rhythm is perceived as it is rather than as the first three events repeated at a double tempo (denoted as R012 = repeat from 0, one time, twice faster):
However, the motive with this rhythm in the Mussorgsky's piece
is rather perceived as a repeat
This context-dependent perception of tempo and rhythm is explained by the
principle of correlative perception, according to which data are perceived in the simplest way. From the viewpoint of
Kolmogorov
Andrey Nikolaevich Kolmogorov ( rus, Андре́й Никола́евич Колмого́ров, p=ɐnˈdrʲej nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ kəlmɐˈɡorəf, a=Ru-Andrey Nikolaevich Kolmogorov.ogg, 25 April 1903 – 20 October 1987) was a Sovi ...
's complexity theory, this means such a representation of the data that minimizes the amount of memory.
The example considered suggests two alternative representations of the same rhythm: as it is, and as the rhythm-tempo interaction — a two-level representation in terms of a generative rhythmic pattern and a “tempo curve”. Table 1 displays these possibilities both with and without pitch, assuming that one duration requires one byte of information, one byte is needed for the pitch of one tone, and invoking the repeat algorithm with its parameters R012 takes four bytes. As shown in the bottom row of the table, the rhythm without pitch requires fewer bytes if it is “perceived” as it is, without repetitions and tempo leaps. On the contrary, its melodic version requires fewer bytes if the rhythm is “perceived” as being repeated at a double tempo.
Thus, the loop of interdependence of rhythm and tempo is overcome due to the simplicity criterion, which "optimally" distributes the complexity of perception between rhythm and tempo. In the above example, the repetition is recognized because of additional repetition of the melodic contour, which results in a certain redundancy of the musical structure, making the recognition of the rhythmic pattern "robust" under tempo deviations. Generally speaking, the more redundant the "musical support" of a rhythmic pattern, the better its recognizability under augmentations and diminutions, that is, its distortions are perceived as tempo variations rather than rhythmic changes:
Modern classical music
20th-century classical music
20th-century classical music describes art music that was written nominally from 1901 to 2000, inclusive. Musical style diverged during the 20th century as it never had previously. So this century was without a dominant style. Modernism, impressio ...
introduced a wide range of approaches to tempo, particularly thanks to the influence of
modernism
Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...
and later
postmodernism
Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or Rhetorical modes, mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by philosophical skepticism, skepticis ...
.
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
John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading fi ...
's compositions approach tempo in diverse ways. For instance ''
4′33″'' has a defined duration, but no actual notes, while
As Slow as Possible
''Organ2/ASLSP'' (''As Slow as Possible'') is a musical piece by John Cage and the subject of one of the longest-lasting musical performances yet undertaken. Cage wrote it in 1987 for organ, as an adaptation of his 1985 composition ''ASLSP'' fo ...
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
A drum roll (or roll for short) is a technique used by percussionists to produce a sustained sound for the duration of a written note.Cirone, Anthony J. (1991). Simple Steps to Snare Drum', p.30-31. Alfred. . "The purpose of the roll is t ...
. Such compositions often exhibit a much slower underlying tempo, but may increase the tempo by adding additional percussive beats.
Extreme music
Extreme Music is a production music arm of Sony Music Publishing. The company creates and licenses music for use in television, film, advertising, and online media. Their library includes music from artists and composers such as Quincy Jones, ...
subgenres such as
speedcore
Speedcore is a form of electronic music that is characterized by a high tempo and aggressive themes. It was created in the early to mid-1990s and the name originates from the hardcore genre as well as the high-speed tempo used. This music rarely ...
and
grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme fusion genre of heavy metal and hardcore punk that originated in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from abrasive-sounding musical styles, such as thrashcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, extreme metal, and industrial. G ...
often strive to reach unusually fast tempo. The use of extreme tempo was very common in the fast
bebop
Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early-to-mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo, complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerous changes of key, instrumen ...
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
from the 1940s and 1950s. A common jazz tune such as "
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
" was often performed at quarter note equal to or sometimes exceeding 368 bpm. Some of
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...
's famous tunes ("Bebop", "Shaw Nuff") have been performed at 380 bpm plus.
There is also a subgenre of speedcore known as
Extratone
Speedcore is a form of electronic music that is characterized by a high tempo and aggressive themes. It was created in the early to mid-1990s and the name originates from the hardcore genre as well as the high-speed tempo used. This music rarely ...
, which is defined by music with a BPM over 3,600, or sometimes 1,000 BPM or over.
Beatmatching
In popular music genres such as
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
,
house music
House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by Disc jockey, DJs and music producers from Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago' ...
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 75–90 bpm) mixes well with a drum and bass beat (from 150 to 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
Pitch shifting is a sound recording technique in which the original pitch of a sound is raised or lowered. Effects units that raise or lower pitch by a pre-designated musical interval ( transposition) are called pitch shifters.
Pitch and tim ...
. The opposite operation, changing the tempo without changing the pitch, is called
time-stretching.
See also
*
A capriccio
''A capriccio'' (Italian: "following one's fancy") is a tempo marking indicating a free and capricious approach to the tempo (and possibly the style) of the piece. This marking will usually modify another, such as ''lento a capriccio'', often us ...
*
Alla breve
''Alla breve'' also known as cut time or cut common timeis a musical meter notated by the time signature symbol (a C with a vertical line through it), which is the equivalent of . The term is Italian for "on the breve", originally meaning th ...
*
As Slow as Possible
''Organ2/ASLSP'' (''As Slow as Possible'') is a musical piece by John Cage and the subject of one of the longest-lasting musical performances yet undertaken. Cage wrote it in 1987 for organ, as an adaptation of his 1985 composition ''ASLSP'' fo ...
*
Bell pattern
A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an intern ...
*
Half-time (music)
In popular music, half-time is a type of meter and tempo that alters the rhythmic feel by essentially ''doubling the tempo resolution'' or metric division/level in comparison to common-time. Thus, two measures of approximate a single measure ...
*
Multitemporal music The term polytempo or polytempic is used to describe music in which two or more tempi occur simultaneously.
In the Western world, the practice of polytempic music has its roots in the music theory of Henry Cowell, and the early practices of Charle ...
*
Stop-time
In tap dancing, jazz, and blues, stop-time is an accompaniment pattern interrupting, or stopping, the normal time and featuring regular accented attacks on the first beat of each or every other measure, alternating with silence or instrumen ...
Citations
General sources
Books on tempo in music:
*
*
*
* Snoman, Rick (2009). ''The Dance Music Manual: Tools, Toys, and Techniques – Second Edition''. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Press. .
Music dictionaries:
* Apel, Willi, ed., ''Harvard Dictionary of Music'', Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged. The Belknap Press of
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...
, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1969.
* Sadie, Stanley; John Tyrrell, eds. (2001). ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', 2nd edition. New York: Grove's Dictionaries. .
Examples of musical scores:
*
External links
Tempo Terminology, Virginia Tech department of musicTempo indications for social dancesTempo variation among and within 300+ recorded performances of Beethoven's 'Eroica' SymphonyCalculate Beats Per Minute Understanding Musical Tempo
{{Authority control
Musical terminology
Rhythm and meter
Temporal rates