From fastest to slowest, the common tempo markings are:
Prestissimo - as fast as possible (200 - 208 bpm)
Vivacissimo - very vivacious
Allegrissimo - very cheerful
Presto - fast (168 - 200 bpm)
Vivo - live
Vivace - lively and fast (~140 bpm)
Allegro assai- rather cheerful
Allegro - cheerful and quickly (120 - 168 bpm)
Allegro Moderato - Moderately cheerful ad quick
Allegretto - Rather lively (but less so than Allegro)
Moderato - moderately (90 - 115 bpm)
Andantino - Alternatively faster or slower than Andante.
Andante - walking (76 - 108 bpm)
Adagietto - Rather slow
Adagio - slowly (66 - 76 bpm)
Larghetto (60 - 66 bpm)
Lento - very slow
Largo - suspended (40 - 60 bpm)
Lentissimo - very very slow
Adagissimo -slower than Lentissimo
Larghissimo - very wide
Grave - heavy, seriously
Maestoso - Majestically
'a tempo' return to the beginning tempo (speed), usually from a ritardando (slow down) or accelerando (speed up)
All of these markings are based on a few root words such as 'allegro', 'largo', 'adagio', 'vivace', 'presto' 'andante' and 'lento'. By adding the -issimo ending the word is amplified, by adding the -ino ending the word is diminished, and by adding the -etto ending the word is endeared.
There are also Common Qualifiers
assai - very, as in Allegro assai (but also understood by some as "enough")
con brio - with vigor
con moto - with motion
non troppo - not too much, e.g. Allegro non troppo (or Allegro ma non troppo) means "Fast, but not too much."
non tanto - not so much
molto - very, as in Molto Allegro or "Adagio Molto"
poco - slightly, as in Poco Adagio
più - more, as in Più Allegro; used as a relative indication when the tempo changes
meno - less, as in Meno Presto
In addition to the common "Allegretto," composers freely apply Italian diminutive and superlative suffixes to various tempo indications: Andantino, Larghetto, Adagietto, Larghissimo.
Some markings that primarily mark a mood (or character) also have a tempo connotation:
Vivace - lively (which generally indicates a rather fast movement)
Maestoso - majestic or stately (which generally indicates a solemn, slow movement)
Sostenuto - Sustained, sometimes with a slackening of tempo.
Composers may use expressive marks to adjust the tempo:
Accelerando - speeding up (abbreviation: accel.)
Ritardando - delaying (abbreviation: rit. or more specifically, ritard.)
Meno Mosso - less movement or slower
Più Mosso - more movement or faster
Rallentando - slowing down, especially near the end of a section (abbreviation: rall.)
Ritenuto - slightly slower; temporarily holding back. (Note that the abbreviation for ritenuto can also be rit. Thus a more specific abbreviation is riten.)
Stretto - rushing ahead; temporarily speeding up
Rubato - free adjustment of tempo for expressive purposes
Allargando - growing broader; decreasing tempo, usually near the end of a piece
Mosso"" - movement, more lively, or quicker, much like 'Più Mosso', but not as extreme
While the base tempo indication (such as "Allegro") appears in large type above the staff, these adjustments typically appear below the staff or (in the case of keyboard instrument) in the middle of the grand staff.
Several terms control how large and how gradual this change is:
poco a poco - bit by bit, gradually
subito - suddenly
poco - a little
molto - a lot
2007-03-30 09:28:33
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answer #1
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answered by martox45 7
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andante - at a walking pace
issimo - very
vivace - lively
staccato - short, as in an attack on the note
adagio - at ease, slow
2007-03-29 13:44:07
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answer #2
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answered by kate 4
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Andante-Going
issimo- or
vivace-lively
staccato-detached
adagio- I set down
2007-03-29 13:30:04
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answer #3
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answered by Hollianne 1
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