# Ritardando and accelerando

Source: https://arcosounds.com/glossary/ritardando
Also known as: rit., accel., rallentando

**Ritardando is a gradual slowing of tempo and accelerando a gradual speeding up, both written as abbreviations with a dotted line showing how far they extend.**

Ritardando and rallentando are used almost interchangeably, though rallentando traditionally implies a broader, heavier slowing. Both are cancelled by a tempo, which restores the previous speed. Ritenuto, confusingly similar in abbreviation, means an immediate drop in tempo rather than a gradual one.

The common performance failure is slowing too early and having nowhere left to go. Like a crescendo, a ritardando needs its shape distributed across its full written length, with the largest change saved for the final beat or two.

Canonical source: https://arcosounds.com/glossary/ritardando