Tempo

Glossary of Tempo Markings used in Classical Music

In classical music the most common tempo markings are in Italian, though sometimes French or German are also used.

Italian Tempo Markings - listed alphabetically

Usually each movement or a piece will have one or two tempo markings which may also be accompanied by modifiers and mood markings.

Adagietto — rather slow
Adagio — slow and stately (literally, "at ease")
Adagissimo — very, very slow
Agitato — hurried, restless
Allegramente — quicker
Allegretto grazioso — moderately fast and gracefully
Allegretto — moderately fast (but less so than allegro)
Allegrissimo — very fast (though slower than presto)
Allegro — fast and bright or "march tempo"
Allegro appassionato — fast and passionately
Allegro ma non troppo — fast but not too much
Allegro moderato — moderately quick
Andante — at a walking pace
Andante Moderato — a bit faster than andante
Andantino – slightly faster than andante
Grave — slow and solemn
Largamente — very, very, very slow
Larghetto — rather broadly
Larghissimo — very, very slow
Largo — very slow, like lento
Lentamente — slowly
Lentissimo — extremely slow, but not as slow as larghissimo
Lento — very slow
Lento assai — even more slowly than lento
Lento Moderato — moderately slow
Moderato — moderately
Moderato espressivo — moderately with expression
Prestissimo — extremely fast
Presto — very fast
Rapido — rapidly
veloce — with velocity, speedily
Vivace — lively and fast
Vivacissimo — very quick, faster than vivace
Vivo — lively and fast

Note: In addition to the common allegretto, composers freely apply Italian diminutive and superlative suffixes to various tempo indications i.e.: adagietto, andantino, larghetto, and larghissimo. 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.

Modifiers

accentato — accented; with emphasis
assai — very (e.g. Adagio assai)
cantabile — in singing style (lyrical and flowing)
con — with (e.g. Andante con moto, "at a walking pace with motion")
l'istesso tempo — at the same speed
ma non troppo — but not too much
marcato — marching tempo, marked with emphasis
meno — less, as in meno presto
molto — much, very (such as Molto allegro)
non tanto — not so much
non troppo — not too much (such as Allegro ma non troppo, "fast but not too much")
obbligato — required, indispensable
più — more, as in più allegro; used as a relative indication when the tempo changes
poco — a little (such as Poco allegro)
poco a poco — little by little
quasi — as if (such as Più allegro quasi presto, "faster, as if presto")
semplice — simply
senza — without
sotto voce — in an undertone i.e. quietly
tempo comodo — at a comfortable (normal) speed
tempo di... — the speed of a ... such as Tempo di valse (speed of a waltz), Tempo di marcia (speed of a march))
tempo giusto — at a consistent speed, at the 'right' speed
tempo primo — indicates a return to the movement's or song’s original speed
tempo semplice — simple, regular speed, plainly

Mood markings

Mood markings are often used in conjunction with tempo indications:

accarezzévole — expressive and caressing
acceso — ignited, on fire
affannato or affannoso — anguished
affettuoso or affettuosamente — with affect (that is, with feeling/emotion)
agitato — agitated, with implied quickness
animato — animated, lively
appassionato — to play passionately
brioso — vigorously (same as con brio)
bruscamente — brusquely
con affetto — with affect (that is, with emotion)
con amore — or (in Spanish and sometimes in Italian) con amor: with love, tenderly
con bravura — boldly
con brio — lively, literally, "with brilliance"
con calore — warmly
con dolore — with sadness
con fuoco — with fire
con gran espressione — with great expression
con molto espressione — with much expression
con moto — with motion
con slancio — with enthusiasm
dolce — sweetly
espressivo — expressively
furioso — to play in an angry or furious manner
giocoso — merrily, funny
lacrimoso — tearfully, sadly
lamentando or lamentoso — lamenting, mournfully
leggiero — to play lightly, or with light touch
lububre — lububrious, mournful
luminoso — luminously
maestoso — majestic or stately (which generally indicates a solemn, slow movement)
misterioso — mysterious
morendo — dying
pesante — heavily
sautillé/ saltando — jumpy, fast, and short
scherzando or, scherzoso — playfully
soave — smoothly, gently
sognando — dreamily
solenne — solemn
sonore — sonorous
sostenuto — sustained, sometimes with a slackening of tempo
spiccato — slow sautillé, with a bouncy manner
tranquillamente — adverb of tranquillo, "tranquilly"
tranquillo — tranquil
vivacissimamente — adverb of vivacissimo, "very quickly and lively"
vivacissimo — very fast and lively