# musical rhythm notations: allegro, andante . . .

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-rhythm-notations-allegro-andante/109767>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 19, 2002, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-rhythm-notations-allegro-andante/109767 "2002-05-19T01:19:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Pablito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@Pablito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pablito)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-rhythm-notations-allegro-andante/109767/1 "2002-05-19T01:19:16Z")

</div>

So, would someone tell me the different words used to indicate the speed at which a musical composition is supposed to be played? From slowest to fastest, for example, and the English translations for each?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![johncole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@johncole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johncole)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-rhythm-notations-allegro-andante/109767/2 "2002-05-19T01:41:32Z")

</div>

Grave - Very Slow  
Largo, Lento - Slow  
Larghetto - A little faster than Largo  
Adagio - Moderately Slow  
Andante - “Walking” Tempo  
Andantino - A little faster than Andante  
Allegretto - A little slower than Allegro  
Allegro - Fast  
Vivace - Lively  
Presto - Very Fast  
Prestissimo - Very Very Fast

Moderato - Moderate(ly)  
Molto - Very  
Accel., Accelerando - Gradually becoming faster  
Rit., Ritardando - Gradually becoming slower

[tempo terms](http://library.thinkquest.org/2791/MDCTARY/TEMPOTRM.htm)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-rhythm-notations-allegro-andante/109767/3 "2002-05-19T06:40:15Z")

</div>

According to my metronome (in beats/minute):

Largo: 40-60  
Larghetto: 60-66  
Adagio: 66-76  
Andante: 76-108  
Moderato: 108-120  
Allegro: 120-168  
Presto: 168-200  
Prestissimo: 200-208

But it’s just a cheap piece of electronics, and tempo markings aren’t an exact science, anyway.