......................................................................................................................................

Tempo

Terminology

Fluctuating Tempos

To add further expressiveness to a musical passage, a composer will some times indicate that the tempo of a piece should slow down or speed up gradually.

Ritardando

The term ritardando (often abbreviated to "rit.") indicates that the tempo should gradually slow down. A dashed line after the ritardando or rit. marking indicates the number of beats or measures over which the tempo should be decreased:

(Note: An a tempo marking indicates a return to the original tempo.)

Accelerando

The term accelerando (often abbreviated to "accel.") indicates that the tempo should gradually speed up. A dashed line after the accelerando or accel. marking indicates the number of beats or measures over which the tempo should be increased:

Rubato

A composer can use the rubato tempo marking to indicate that the conductor or the performer(s) should allow the tempo to fluctuate back-and-forth slightly between a slower and faster tempo. The amount of rubato is left to the discretion of the conductor or the performer(s).

Molto rubato indicates that the music should be performed with much rubato.