We recommend knowing first
The problem it solves
You have to keep a steady speed throughout a piece, and be able to change it at will to practise slowly or play at the real speed.
Detailed theory
Key idea
Tempo is the speed of the beat, in BPM: more BPM, faster.
Tempo changes the overall speed, but not the proportions between figures.
Understand it
Tempo says how fast the beats follow one another. It is measured in beats per minute (BPM): 60 BPM is one beat per second; 120 BPM, two per second.
Changing the tempo speeds up or slows down all the music equally, but doesn't touch the proportions: a half note still lasts twice as long as a quarter at both 60 and 120 BPM. Only how long each beat lasts in seconds changes.
Traditionally tempo is given with Italian terms that suggest a rough range: Adagio (slow), Andante (walking), Moderato, Allegro (fast), Presto (very fast). Today it is also common to see it as an exact BPM number.
Think of a film you can play in slow motion or sped up: the same scenes happen in the same order and proportion, only the speed changes. Tempo does the same with the beat.
How to recognise it
How it's written
Look at the start for a BPM figure (for example ♩ = 100) or an Italian term (Andante, Allegro). They tell you how fast the beat should go.
How it feels
Play the same piece at a slow tempo and then a fast one: you'll recognise it's the same music, but calmer or more urgent. What changes is the speed, not the rhythm.
Common mistake
Confusing tempo with rhythm: tempo is the speed; rhythm is the pattern of durations, which doesn't change with tempo.
Speeding up at the hard parts and slowing down at the easy ones: tempo should be deliberate and steady, not automatic.
Try it
Tap a beat at 60 BPM (one tap per second) and then at 120 BPM (twice as fast): the same grid, two speeds.
Take a pattern you already know and play it very slowly before raising the tempo bit by bit.
On the instrument
Figures and pulse
Loading audio…
Four beats at 90 BPM (a moderate tempo). Tempo is exactly this speed: press play to hear it.
Reference table
| Term | Beats per minute |
|---|---|
| Largo | 40–60 |
| Adagio | 66–76 |
| Andante | 76–108 |
| Andantino | 80–108 |
| Moderato | 108–120 |
| Allegretto | 112–120 |
| Allegro | 120–168 |
| Vivace | 140–176 |
| Presto | 168–200 |
The Italian tempo terms, from slowest to fastest, with their approximate BPM range.
Where it's used
- Keeping a steady speed
- Playing a whole piece without speeding up or slowing down by accident.
- Practising at different speeds
- Practising slowly to play cleanly, then raising the tempo bit by bit.
Examples
Figures and pulse
Loading audio…
The same pattern at 60 BPM: slow, one beat per second. Same music, more space.
Figures and pulse
Loading audio…
And now at 144 BPM: fast and urgent. The proportions haven't changed, only the speed.
Exercises
Try different tempos
Move the tempo and feel the speed of the beat change.
Complete 10 attempts · 70% accuracy to pass
Mini test
Check that you've got it.
0/6 answeredQuestion 1/6
What is tempo?