Glossary of Tempo Markings used in Classical Music
Italian Tempo Markings - listed alphabetically
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
French Tempo Markings
Common tempo markings in French are:
Au mouvement — play the (first or main) tempo.
Grave — slowly and solemnly
Lent — slowly
Modéré — at a moderate tempo
Moins — less, as in Moins vite (less fast)
Rapide — fast
Très — very, as in Très vif (very lively)
Vif — lively
Vite — fast
German Tempo Markings
Common German tempo markings are:
Langsam — slowly
Lebhaft — lively (mood)
Mäßig — moderately
Rasch — quickly
Schnell — fast