Additional terms Terms for change in tempo
• A piacere – the performer may use his or her own discretion with regard
to tempo and rhythm; literally "at pleasure"
• Con moto – Italian for "with movement"; can be combined with a tempo
indication, e.g., Allegro con moto
• Assai – (very) much
• A tempo – resume previous tempo
• L'istesso, L'istesso tempo, or Lo stesso tempo – at the same speed;
L'istesso is used when the actual speed of the music has not
changed, despite apparent signals to the contrary, such as changes in
time signature or note length (half notes in 
 could change to
4 4
whole notes in 
 , and they would all have the same duration)
2 2
• Ma non tanto - but not so much; used in the same way and has the same
effect as Ma non troppo (see immediately below) but to a lesser
degree
• Ma non troppo - but not too much; used to modify a basic tempo to
indicate that the basic tempo should be reined in to a degree; for
example, Adagio ma non troppo to mean ″Slow, but not too slow″,
Allegro ma non troppo to mean ″Fast, but not too fast″
• Molto – very
• Poco – a little
• Subito – suddenly
• Tempo comodo – at a comfortable (normal) speed
• Tempo di... – the speed of a ... (Tempo di valzer, Tempo di marcia
• Tempo giusto – at a consistent speed, at the 'right' speed, in strict tempo
• Tempo semplice – simple, regular speed, plainly
• Tempo primo – resume the original (first) tempo
• Accelerando – speeding up (abbreviation: accel.)
• Allargando – growing broader; decreasing tempo, usually near the end
of a piece
• Calando – going slower (and usually also softer)
• Doppio movimento / doppio più mosso – double-speed
• Doppio più lento – half-speed
• Lentando – gradually slowing, and softer
• Meno mosso – less movement; slower
• Meno moto – less motion
• Più mosso – more movement; faster
• Mosso – movement, more lively; quicker, much like più mosso, but not
as extreme
• Precipitando – hurrying; going faster/forward
• Rallentando – a gradual slowing down (abbreviation: rall.)
• Ritardando – slowing down gradually; also see rallentando and ritenuto
(abbreviations: rit., ritard.) sometimes replaces allargando.
• Ritenuto – slightly slower, but achieved more immediately
than rallentando or ritardando; a sudden decrease in tempo;
temporarily holding back. (sometimes ritenuto does not reflect a tempo
change but rather a 'character' change.)
• Rubato – free adjustment of tempo for expressive purposes, literally
"theft"—so more strictly, to take time from one beat to slow another
• Stretto – in a faster tempo, often used near the conclusion of a section.
(Note that in fugalcompositions, the term stretto refers to the imitation
of the subject in close succession, before the subject is completed, and
as such, suitable for the close of the fugue. Used in this context, the
term is not necessarily related to tempo.)
• Stringendo – pressing on faster, literally "tightening"
• Tardando – slowing down gradually (same as ritardando)
• Tempo Primo – resume the original tempo
 than
andante
Metrono somewhat animated; ♩ = 100— lively,
Italian English animato
me close to lively 116 allegro cheerful ♩ = 138—
andante ♩ = 72— molto and 160
andantino
(somewha 88 quickly
somewhat t faster or
faster ♩ = 58— slower)
heavy, ♩ = 40— adagietto very
grave than 72
seriously 48 much
adagio animato ♩ = 104—
animated; lively,
assai 120 allegro cheerful ♩ = 144—
quite
somewhat lively assai and 168
moderato slower ♩ = 76— quickly
♩ = 44— («walking ♩ = 58— assai than 92
largo broadly andante
52 ») flowing 72 moderato

quite
lively, allegro lively,
allegro ♩ = 108— agitato, cheerful ♩ = 152—
cheerful
♩ = 46— moderatel moderato 126 allegro and
largamente broadly in a and 176
54 majestic y, quickly animato quickly
andante ♩ = 60— ♩ = 80—
and moderato neither
maestoso 69 slow nor 96
stately
manner fast
(«at tempo di ♩ = 112— lively,
ease») ♩ = 48— marching allegro cheerful ♩ = 160—
adagio marcia 126
easily, 56 vivace and 170
unhurried with with ♩ = 84— quickly
con moto
andante motion ♩ = 63— motion 100
mosso or 76
animation lively,
cheerful
♩ = 50— allegro ma and ♩ = 116— lively and ♩ = 160—
lento slowly vivo
58 somewhat non troppo quickly, 132 fast 176
allegretto slower ♩ = 88— but not
comodo, moderato than 104 too much
convenien ♩ = 63— allegretto
comodame
t (pace) 80
nte
♩ = 52— lively and ♩ = 176—
lentamente slowly vivace
60 fast 192
lively,
somewhat cheerful
slower ♩ = 92— allegro ♩ = 116—
andante, allegretto and
andante ♩ = 66— than tranquillo 132
but not 108 quickly,
somewhat non troppo 80 allegro ♩ = 184—
too much but calm presto fast
faster ♩ = 54— 200
larghetto
than 63
largo

andante, somewhat lively,

andante ♩ = 69— allegretto faster ♩ = 96— ♩ = 120— ♩ = 192—
but with cheerful prestissimo
con moto 84 mosso than allegro very fast 208 (and
motion 112 and 144 (possible)
andante ♩ = 56— allegretto quickly more)
assai somewhat 66
slower