Expression & tempo
Tempo
Tempo is the speed of a piece, given either as an Italian term such as Allegro or Adagio or as a precise metronome marking in beats per minute.
Traditional Italian markings describe character as well as speed: Largo suggests breadth, Adagio is slow, Andante suggests a walking pace, Moderato is moderate, Allegro is fast and Presto is very fast. Their interpretation depends on the piece, period, metre and note values; BPM ranges printed on metronomes are guides, not universal definitions. A numerical marking specifies a note value and a rate, such as quarter note = 80.
Choose a practice tempo at which you can play a passage comfortably and accurately. Repeat it while listening for steady rhythm and relaxed movement, then raise the metronome a few beats at a time. If accuracy or ease deteriorates, slow down again. The written performance tempo is a destination, not a requirement for every practice attempt.
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Read a tempo marking, then count it
A quarter-note (crotchet) marking of 60 means 60 quarter notes in one minute: one each second. In 4/4, four of these beats fill a bar.
Quarter note = 60 · Count: 1 2 3 4 · One bar lasts 4 seconds
The note symbol matters as much as the number. A dotted-quarter marking of 60 in 6/8 gives two main beats per bar, each containing three eighth notes. That bar lasts two seconds.
Check your understanding
At quarter note = 120, how long does one complete bar of 3/4 last, with no tempo changes or pauses?
Show answer and explanation
1.5 seconds. Each quarter note lasts 60 ÷ 120 = 0.5 seconds; three beats last 3 × 0.5 = 1.5 seconds.
A common mix-up
BPM does not tell you the duration of every written note. First identify which note value the tempo marking assigns to each click; then subdivide or combine clicks for other values.
Related terms
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