Tempo: Smorgasbord
Goal: To create improvisations using notated materials that connect the ear to the eye and the eye to the ear.
Tempo, slow to fast
| English | Italian | German | French |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solemn | Grave | Schwer | Lourd |
| Broad | Largo | Breit | Large |
| Slow | Adagio | Langsam | Lent |
| Moderately slow | Andante | Gehend | Allant |
| Moderate | Moderato | Mässig | Modéré |
| Moderately fast | Allegretto | Etwas bewegt | Un peu animé |
| Fast | Allegro | Schnell | Animé |
| Lively | Vivace | Lebhaft | Vif |
| Very fast | Presto | Eilig | Vite |
Tempo Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Accelerando | Speeding up |
| Affrettando | Speeding up with a suggestion of anxiety |
| Allargando | Growing broader; decreasing tempo (usually near the end of a piece) |
| Calando | Going slower (and usually also softer) |
| Doppio movimento / doppio più mosso | Double-speed |
| Doppio più lento | Half-speed |
| Lentando | Gradually slowing, and softer |
| Meno mosso | Less movement; slower |
| Meno moto | Less motion |
| Più mosso | More movement; faster |
| Mosso | Movement, more lively; quicker (much like più mosso, but not as extreme) |
| Precipitando | Hurrying; going faster/forward |
| Rallentando | A gradual slowing down |
| Ritardando | Slowing down gradually |
| Ritenuto | Slightly slower, but achieved more immediately than rallentando or ritardando; a sudden decrease in tempo; temporarily holding back |
| Rubato | Free adjustment of tempo for expressive purposes, literally "theft"—so more strictly, to take time from one beat to slow another |
| Slargando | Gradually slowing down, literally "slowing down", "widening" or "stretching" |
| Stretto | In a faster tempo (often used near the conclusion of a section) |
| Stringendo | Pressing on faster, literally "tightening" |
| Tardando | Slowing down gradually |
| Tempo Primo | Resume the original tempo |