| Tempo | time | The speed of a piece of music |
| Largo | broad | Slow and dignified |
| Larghetto | a little bit broad | Not as slow as largo |
| Lentando | slowing | Becoming slower |
| Lento | slow | Slow |
| Adagio | ad agio, at ease | Slow, but not as slow as largo |
| Adagietto | little adagio | Faster than adagio; or a short adagio composition |
| Andante | walking | Moderately slow, flowing along |
| Moderato | moderately | At a moderate speed |
| Allegretto | a little bit joyful | Slightly slower than allegro |
| Largamente | broadly | Slow and dignified |
| Mosso | moved | Agitated |
| Allegro | joyful; lively and fast | Moderately fast |
| Fermata | stopped | Marks a note to be held or sustained |
| Presto | ready | Very fast |
| Prestissimo | very ready | Very very fast, as fast as possible |
| Accelerando | accelerating | Accelerating |
| Affrettando | becoming hurried | Accelerating |
| Allargando | to slow and broaden | Slowing down and broadening, becoming more stately and majestic, possibly louder |
| Ritardando | to slow | Decelerating |
| Rallentando | becoming progressively slower | Decelerating |
| Rubato | robbed | Free flowing and exempt from steady rhythm |
| Tenuto | sustained | Holding or sustaining a single note |
| Accompagnato | accompanied | The accompaniment must follow the singer who can speed up or slow down at will |
| Alla marcia | as a march | In strict tempo at a marching pace (e.g. 120 bpm) |
| A tempo | to time | Return to previous tempo |
| L'istesso tempo | Same speed | At the same speed |
Read more about this topic: Italian Musical Terms Used In English
Famous quotes containing the word tempo:
“I have never yet spoken from a public platform about women in industry that someone has not said, “But things are far better than they used to be.” I confess to impatience with persons who are satisfied with a dangerously slow tempo of progress for half of society in an age which requires a much faster tempo than in the days that “used to be.” Let us use what might be instead of what has been as our yardstick!”
—Mary Barnett Gilson (1877–?)