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Snails and pandas and dolphins – oh my! This sheet uses fun animal graphics to quickly reference the definitions for the most commonly used tempo terms.
What are different tempos?
Tempo in music refers to the speed at which a musical piece is played. A tempo can be fast, slow, or somewhere in between. Changing the tempo of a song can completely change the feel of the song, so it’s important to understand different tempos and how to play them.
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What are tempo indications?
Tempo indications are words that a composer uses to let the performer know how fast or slow a piece is intended to be played. Each tempo indication has a range of beats per minute, or BPM, that falls within it. Here are the most commonly used tempo indications and the range of beats per minute assigned to each.
- Largo: slow and broad (40-60 BPM)
- Adagio: slow, with great expression (60-70 BPM)
- Andante: at a walking pace (70-80 BPM)
- Moderato: moderate pace (80-100 BPM)
- Allegretto: medium fast (100-110 BPM)
- Allegro: fast, quick, and bright (120-156 BPM)
- Vivace: lively and fast (156-168 BPM)
- Presto: very fast (168-200 BPM)
- Prestissimo: very, very fast (200+ BPM)
Why do we use tempo?
Tempo, the speed at which a musical piece is performed, affects the way the piece sounds. A song that is meant to be played slowly will sound very different if it is played quickly. Also, sometimes pieces meant to be played slowly or at a moderate speed will be too difficult to play when sped up.
Faster is not always better! One mistake beginning pianists often make is to play a song too quickly. Maintaining a slow tempo allows the listener to enjoy the sound and the emotional quality of a piece of music.
Another mistake to avoid is practicing a fast piece too fast. In order to play a fast piece well, start by practicing at a slow tempo. Once you learn to play a piece of music at a slow tempo, it is easy to play it faster. By practicing slowly, you can make sure you’re playing the correct rhythm and notes.
Why is it called tempo?
The word “tempo” is an Italian word that comes from the Latin word “tempus” which means time. Many of our musical terms are Italian words because much of our modern music notation was developed in Italy.
One of the important jobs an orchestra conductor has is to make sure all of the musicians are playing at the same tempo. Next time you watch a conductor, notice how they set the tempo by the way they move their hands.
How do you practice different tempos?
The best way to practice a piano piece at different tempos is with a metronome. Before you reach for your metronome, make sure you’re ready! It’s important to be familiar with the notes and the rhythm of your piece so that you can play it at different tempos without getting lost. Once you’re familiar with a piano piece, practicing at different tempos is a great way to make practice time more fun and interesting.
Next, take a look at the time signature and determine what kind of note represents one beat. To do this, look at the bottom number of the time signature. If the bottom number is a 4, the quarter note gets the beat. That means the metronome will click once for each quarter note. If the bottom number is an 8, the eighth note will get the beat. That means the metronome should click once for every eighth note.
It’s also useful to know how many times the metronome should click in each measure. To find out, look at the top number of the time signature. If the number is a 4, the metronome will click 4 times. If the number is a 3, the metronome will click 3 times.
To find out what tempo you’re already playing, sing the melody of the piece at the tempo you usually play it. Turn on the metronome and match the speed of the clicks to your singing. Have the sheet music in front of you so that you can be sure you’re matching the clicks of the metronome to the beats in the music.
Now you’re ready to try some different tempos. Try lowering the tempo and playing your piece very slowly with the metronome. Most people think that it is harder to play a piano piece faster, so you may be surprised by how difficult it is to keep the beat when you slow down.
It can also be fun to see how fast you can play your piece. Raise the tempo a little at a time and see how fast you can go without making a mistake. Remember not to practice so fast that you’re making a lot of mistakes! A song played at a slower tempo without making mistakes is always nicer to listen to than a song played at a fast tempo with mistakes.
Have fun learning about and playing at different tempos!
Now that you know about tempos in music, use our downloadable tempo reference sheet to try this fun game. Find a partner to sit at the piano with you. Choose a piano piece you know well and start playing. Have your partner point to a tempo on the page and see if you can speed up or slow down your playing to match that tempo. Happy practicing!