Tempo: Smorgasbord

Goal: To use a visual layout of tempo choices.

English	Italian	German	French
Solemn	Grave	Schwer	Lourd
Broad	Largo	Breit	Large
Slow	Lento	Langsam	Lent
Slow	Adagio	Langsam	Lent
Moderately slow	Andante	Gehend	Allant
Moderate	Moderato	Mässig	Modéré
Moderate fast	Allegretto	Etwas bewegt	Un peu animé
Fast	Allegro	Schnell	Animé
Lively	Vivace	Lebhaft	Vif
Very fast	Presto	Eilig	Vite

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