2. Tempo Literally translates to time The speed or pace of the music How fast the music should feel Usually found at beginning of a piece or section Metronome marking in BPM ( ♩ =120) Descriptive word/phrase (Allegro) Found in different languages Italian is common

3. History Tempo has not always been indicated Before tempo was notated, it was understood Musical forms, genres, or moods determined tempo Minuet = moderate Scherzo = fast Ballad = slow Baroque period is when tempo markings began to be used regularly

4. Beats Per Minute (BPM) Number of beats within a minute Notated ♩ =“number” ♪ = “number” or any other note length= “number” Gives an exact tempo Used as guideline

5. Basic Tempo Markings Adagio Slow and stately 69-76 BPM Andante Walking pace 76-108 BPM Largo Very slow 40-60 BPM

6. Basic Tempo Markings Allegro Fast, quickly 120-139 BPM Presto Very fast 168-200 BPM Moderato Moderately 108-110 BPM

7. Largo Very slow

8. Adagio Slow and stately

9. Andante Walking speed

10. Moderato Moderately

11. Allegro Fast, quickly

12. Presto Very fast

14. Review Questions 1. Define tempo. 2. What does BPM stand for? 3. Where is the tempo marking found in music? 4. How many basic tempo markings are in this power point? 5. List them from slowest to fastest.