Tempo Markings — From Largo to Presto
Classical scores describe speed with Italian words instead of numbers. This chart gives every common tempo marking, what it means, and the BPM range it covers today.
Complete Tempo Markings Chart
Tempo markings are guides, not laws — different references place the boundaries a few BPM apart, and performers have always interpreted them with some freedom. The ranges below are the ones in common modern use, and they are the same ranges our tap tempo tool and online metronome use when they name your tempo.
| Marking | Meaning | BPM range |
|---|---|---|
| Grave | Very slow and solemn | 20–45 |
| Largo | Broadly — very slow and dignified | 40–60 |
| Lento | Slowly | 45–60 |
| Adagio | Slow and stately (“at ease”) | 66–76 |
| Andante | At a walking pace | 76–108 |
| Andantino | Slightly faster than Andante | 80–108 |
| Moderato | Moderately | 108–120 |
| Allegretto | Moderately bright, a little lively | 112–120 |
| Allegro | Fast, quick and bright | 120–156 |
| Vivace | Lively and fast | 156–176 |
| Presto | Very, very fast | 168–200 |
| Prestissimo | As fast as possible | 200+ |
Terms That Change the Tempo
Scores also use modifier words to speed up, slow down or stretch time. The most common: ritardando (rit.) — gradually slowing down; rallentando (rall.) — similar, also losing energy; accelerando (accel.) — gradually speeding up; a tempo — return to the original speed after a change; rubato — flexible time, stealing from one beat and giving back to the next; and fermata — hold a note longer than its value, at the performer’s discretion.
Why the Ranges Overlap
Before the metronome was invented in the early 1800s, tempo words were all musicians had — and a “walking pace” in one country or century was not exactly the same in another. Even today, an Adagio from one publisher may sit where another prints Andante. Treat the chart as a map rather than a fence: what matters most is the character of the marking — solemn, walking, bright, frantic — with the BPM range as your guide.
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Tempo Markings FAQs
What is the slowest tempo marking?
Grave is generally the slowest common marking, around 20–45 BPM, reserved for solemn and heavy music. Largo (40–60) is close behind.
What BPM is Allegro?
Allegro is commonly placed at 120–156 BPM — fast and bright. Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven used it for countless lively movements.
What does Andante mean in BPM?
Andante means “at a walking pace” and is usually 76–108 BPM — close to an actual walking step rate, which is exactly where the name comes from.
Why are tempo markings in Italian?
Italy dominated European music publishing in the 1600s and 1700s, when these terms became standard. Composers everywhere adopted the Italian words, and they have stayed in scores ever since.