Additional terms Terms for change in tempo

• A piacere – the performer may use his or her own discretion with regard • Accelerando – speeding up (abbreviation: accel.)
to tempo and rhythm; literally "at pleasure" • Allargando – growing broader; decreasing tempo, usually near the end
• Con moto – Italian for "with movement"; can be combined with a tempo of a piece
indication, e.g., Allegro con moto • Calando – going slower (and usually also softer)
• Assai – (very) much
• Doppio movimento / doppio più mosso – double-speed
• A tempo – resume previous tempo
• Doppio più lento – half-speed
• 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 • Lentando – gradually slowing, and softer
changed, despite apparent signals to the contrary, such as changes in • Meno mosso – less movement; slower
time signature or note length (half notes in 
 could change to • Meno moto – less motion
4 4 • Più mosso – more movement; faster
whole notes in 
 , and they would all have the same duration) • Mosso – movement, more lively; quicker, much like più mosso, but not
2 2
• Ma non tanto - but not so much; used in the same way and has the same as extreme
effect as Ma non troppo (see immediately below) but to a lesser • Precipitando – hurrying; going faster/forward
degree • Rallentando – a gradual slowing down (abbreviation: rall.)
• Ma non troppo - but not too much; used to modify a basic tempo to • Ritardando – slowing down gradually; also see rallentando and ritenuto
indicate that the basic tempo should be reined in to a degree; for (abbreviations: rit., ritard.) sometimes replaces allargando.
example, Adagio ma non troppo to mean ″Slow, but not too slow″, • Ritenuto – slightly slower, but achieved more immediately
Allegro ma non troppo to mean ″Fast, but not too fast″ than rallentando or ritardando; a sudden decrease in tempo;
• Molto – very temporarily holding back. (sometimes ritenuto does not reflect a tempo
• Poco – a little change but rather a 'character' change.)
• Subito – suddenly • Rubato – free adjustment of tempo for expressive purposes, literally
• Tempo comodo – at a comfortable (normal) speed "theft"—so more strictly, to take time from one beat to slow another
• Tempo di... – the speed of a ... (Tempo di valzer, Tempo di marcia • Stretto – in a faster tempo, often used near the conclusion of a section.
• Tempo giusto – at a consistent speed, at the 'right' speed, in strict tempo (Note that in fugalcompositions, the term stretto refers to the imitation
• Tempo semplice – simple, regular speed, plainly of the subject in close succession, before the subject is completed, and
• Tempo primo – resume the original (first) tempo 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
 than
andante
Metrono somewhat animated; ♩ = 100— lively,
Italian English animato
me close to lively 116 allegro cheerful ♩ = 138—
andante ♩ = 72— molto and 160
andantino
(somewha 88 quickly
somewhat t faster or
faster ♩ = 58— slower)
heavy, ♩ = 40— adagietto very
grave than 72
seriously 48 much
adagio animato ♩ = 104—
animated; lively,
assai 120 allegro cheerful ♩ = 144—
quite
somewhat lively assai and 168
moderato slower ♩ = 76— quickly
♩ = 44— («walking ♩ = 58— assai than 92
largo broadly andante
52 ») flowing 72 moderato

quite
lively, allegro lively,
allegro ♩ = 108— agitato, cheerful ♩ = 152—
cheerful
♩ = 46— moderatel moderato 126 allegro and
largamente broadly in a and 176
54 majestic y, quickly animato quickly
andante ♩ = 60— ♩ = 80—
and moderato neither
maestoso 69 slow nor 96
stately
manner fast
(«at tempo di ♩ = 112— lively,
ease») ♩ = 48— marching allegro cheerful ♩ = 160—
adagio marcia 126
easily, 56 vivace and 170
unhurried with with ♩ = 84— quickly
con moto
andante motion ♩ = 63— motion 100
mosso or 76
animation lively,
cheerful
♩ = 50— allegro ma and ♩ = 116— lively and ♩ = 160—
lento slowly vivo
58 somewhat non troppo quickly, 132 fast 176
allegretto slower ♩ = 88— but not
comodo, moderato than 104 too much
convenien ♩ = 63— allegretto
comodame
t (pace) 80
nte
♩ = 52— lively and ♩ = 176—
lentamente slowly vivace
60 fast 192
lively,
somewhat cheerful
slower ♩ = 92— allegro ♩ = 116—
andante, allegretto and
andante ♩ = 66— than tranquillo 132
but not 108 quickly,
somewhat non troppo 80 allegro ♩ = 184—
too much but calm presto fast
faster ♩ = 54— 200
larghetto
than 63
largo

andante, somewhat lively,

andante ♩ = 69— allegretto faster ♩ = 96— ♩ = 120— ♩ = 192—
but with cheerful prestissimo
con moto 84 mosso than allegro very fast 208 (and
motion 112 and 144 (possible)
andante ♩ = 56— allegretto quickly more)
assai somewhat 66
slower