Tempo is the speed of any piece of music. Just like driving a car and seeing the 45 MPH speed sign, it’s the same for Tempo words in music.

In the top left corner on the opening page of your sheet music, you’ll often see a word that tells you how fast or slow to play a particular song. Sometimes you will be prompted to slow down playback on a particular passage.

You will usually find that these tempo words are written in Italian. These are some of the most common Italian words you will discover in music. It is helpful to memorize most of these words. Having flash cards for self-assessment is a very good idea.

slow tempo Brands:

Adagio (play with ease)
Long (very slow and wide)
slow (very slow)
Grave (heavy and solemn)

medium tempo brands

Andante (a moderate, graceful walking pace)
Andantino (a little slower than andante)
Moderato (a moderate tempo)
very (very)
Larghetto (somewhat slow)

fast tempo brands

Allegretto (lively and fast but slightly slower than Allegro))
Allegro (cheerful, quick and swift)
Vivace (lively and energetic)
Done (very fast)
Prestissimo (very, very fast)

Right in the middle of a piece, you will see that the composer has decided that he wants you to slow down. Look for a new tempo mark at the beginning of a new section. This is what to look for.

Each time faster:

Accelerating (getting faster and abbreviated) speed up.)
Stringendo (acceleration)

Slower and slower:

Ritardando (increasingly slow and abbreviated) laughs.)
Ritenuto (retained)
slowing down (slowing down)
Rattenuto (holding back and slowing down)

When you slow down at the end of a phrase of music or a particular section of a composition, you will notice at the beginning of the next section a new word, a tempo. This means going back to the original tempo. It’s like slowing down while driving a car because you see a sign that says “Reduced Speed ​​Ahead,” and then you go back up to the normal speed limit once again.

Now your piano practice sounds playful and energetic as you watch revving up. Sometimes her moderate walking pace sounds like a gentle dance. The tempo changes completely within a song, all because you changed the speed when playing the piano. The rhythm of a piece of music comes to life because you have observed the tempo markings with expression. Well done.