| Term |
Definition |
| Accelerando (accel.) |
Increase tempo |
| Adagio |
Slowly |
| Allargando (Allarg.) |
Becoming broader and slower |
| Allegretto |
Moderately fast, quite lively |
| Allegro |
Quick, rapid tempo |
| Allegro ma non troppo |
Fast, but not too fast |
| Andante |
Moderately slow, with some motion |
| Andantino |
Slower than andante |
| A tempo |
(Return to) the original tempo |
| Doppio movimento |
Double the tempo |
| Grave |
Very slow, solemn, heavy |
| Langsam |
Slowly |
| Largamente |
Broadly |
| Largo |
Very Slowly |
| Lento |
Relatively Slow |
| L’istesso tempo |
The same tempo |
| Meno mosso |
Less motion |
| Moderato |
Moderately |
| Mosso |
Movement, agitated |
| Piu mosso |
More motion, increase tempo |
| Presto |
Very Quick |
| Rallentando (rall.) |
Growing slower and slower |
| Ritardando (rit.) |
Gradually slowing |
| Ritenuto |
More Immediate slowing of tempo |
| Rubato |
Expressive Flexibility of tempo |
| Stringendo |
Quickening of Tempo |
| Tempo primo |
First tempo, or original tempo |
| Vivace |
Quickly, lively |
