What is tempo in music?

If you’re new to music, watching another musician play their instrument can be exciting and intimidating in equal measure. How do they manage to follow the music so precisely? Where did they learn to balance between rhythm, melody and voice at the same time?

It’s easier than you might think. Musicians rely on a concept called tempo to give structure to music and a catchy cadence that enhances the overall sound experience. But what is tempo in music? And how can we use it to convey different feelings in music?

Below, we’ll break it all down and look at some of the most important tempo conventions so you can start harnessing the power of timing in your songs. Let’s get started!

What is pace?

In the simplest sense, tempo in music means the tempo or speed of a composition. Translated from Italian, tempo means “time”, which indicates the ability of this musical element to hold the composition together. Just as we rely on clocks to tell when to move from one place to another, musicians use tempo to know where to play different parts of a piece of music.

In more classical compositions, the tempo is measured in beats per minute or BPM, and also with a tempo mark or metronome mark. This is usually a number that determines how many beats per minute there are in a piece of music. On sheet music, the correct tempo is indicated above the first measure.

In modern music, songs often have a constant tempo, with a few notable exceptions. However, the pace can change. In more traditional classical music compositions, the tempo may change several times throughout the piece. For example, the first movement may have one rhythm and the second movement may have a different tempo, even though it is all the same piece.

The tempo stays the same until a clear adjustment is noted. The tempo of the piece can be compared to the beating of a human heart. The tempo remains constant and even, but if you start increasing your energy, the beats will come faster, creating changes in tempo.

Pace versus BPM

You may have come across beats per minute, bpm for short, in your DAW. In Western music, BPM serves as a way of measuring tempo in evenly spaced beats at the same speed. The higher the number, the faster the hits go, since there are more hits per segment.

However, it is important to note that beats per minute is not the same as rhythm. You can play different rhythms in the same rhythm or tempo. Thus, the tempo is not necessarily explicit in the piece of music, but serves as the central structure of the song and can be felt. It’s possible to have the same rhythm that matches the beats of your tempo, but it’s not necessary to stay in time.

You can usually find beats per minute in the top menu bar of your DAW, in Ableton it’s in the top left corner:

In short, beats per minute is a way of measuring tempo. Tempo is a more comprehensive concept, including various forms of tempo and quality of cadence.

BPM in popular music

BPM in music can convey different feelings, phrases, and even entire genres. You can create a song in any genre at any tempo, however there are some general tempo ranges that certain genres fall into which can be a useful guide. Generally, a faster tempo means a more energetic song, while a slower tempo creates a more relaxed piece. Here’s what some of the major genres look like in terms of beats per minute:

• Rock: 70-95 bpm
• Hip Hop: 80-130 beats per minute
• R&B: 70-110 bpm
• Pop: 110-140 bpm
• EDM: 120-145 bpm
• Techno: 130-155 bpm

Of course, these recommendations should be taken with a grain of salt. There are a lot of deviations in them, but you can see how the tempo can determine not only the songs, but also the genres in which they exist. Tempo is the same musical element as melody and rhythm.

How does tempo work with time signs?

Tempo is measured in beats per minute, or BPM. However, when performing a musical work, it is also necessary to take into account the temporary signature of the song. Time signatures are critical to creating rhythm in music , indicating how many beats there are per measure. They look like two numbers stacked on top of each other, like 3/4 or 4/4.

The top number shows how many beats there are per measure, and the bottom number shows how long each beat lasts. In the case of 4/4, also known as common time, there are 4 beats per measure, each of which is represented as a quarter note. Thus, a piece played in 4/4 time at 120 beats per minute will have enough room for 120 quarter notes in a minute.

Tempo designations are quite constant, with the exception of the transition from one movement to another. Temporary signatures, on the other hand, count down differently depending on the needs of the piece. In this way, the tempo serves as a constant, binding element that allows us to be softer and freer in other places.

When the tempo changes, the composer may use a double dashed line in the sheet music, introducing a new tempo notation, often with a new key signature and possibly a temporary signature.

Even if you’re new to music theory, you’ll intuitively understand how different tempos work. That is why you are able to slam almost any song so that it has “meaning”. We all know how to catch the pace and work within the context of the given parameters of the pace.

You can even compare tempo and BPM to the ticking of a clock. Since there are 60 seconds in a minute, the clock is ticking at exactly 60 BPM. Time and pace are inextricably linked. Logically, a song played at a tempo above 60 makes us feel energetic. We are literally entering a new, faster pace.

Musicians often use instruments such as the metronome or click track in top DAWs to help keep time and rhythm while playing a piece of music, although in most cases this counting is done by the conductor.

Classification of tempo types using tempo notation

Tempos can also be classified into specific ranges called tempo marks. Tempo notation is usually represented by an Italian, German, French or English word which can help in determining speed and mood.

We’ll cover some of the traditional tempo notation below, but keep in mind that you can mix and match different tempo expressions with each other. One of the most striking examples in classical music can be found in the compositions of Gustav Mahler. This composer sometimes combined German tempo notations with traditional Italian ones to create a more descriptive direction.

Because music is a universal language, it’s a good idea to understand each of the following terms so that you can play the piece as it was intended, with fast execution in terms of tempo.

Italian tempo markup

You will notice that some of the traditional Italian tempo notation has a specific range. Other musical terms refer to the quality of the tempo rather than the given speed. Remember that the tempo designation can refer not only to a certain range, but also to other words to indicate the general quality of the tempo of the work.

• Grave: Slow and solemn, 20 to 40 beats per minute
• Largo: Broadly speaking, 45-50 beats per minute
• Lento: Slow, 40-45 bpm
• Adagio: Slow, 55-65 bpm
• Adante: walking pace from 76 to 108 beats per minute
• Adagietto: Fairly slow, 65 to 69 beats per minute
• Moderato: moderate, 86 to 97 beats per minute
• Allegretto: moderately fast, 98 – 109 beats per minute
• Allegro: Fast, swift, joyful 109 to 132 beats per minute
• Vivas: Lively and fast, 132-140 beats per minute
• Presto: Extremely fast, 168-177 beats per minute
• Pretissimo: Faster than presto

German tempo markings

• Kräftig: Energetic or powerful
• Langsam: Slowly
• Lebhaft: Cheerful mood
• Mäßig: Moderate speed
• Rasch: Fast
• Schnell: Fast
• Bewegt: Animated, live

French tempo markup

• Post: Slow speed
• Modere: Moderate pace
• Rapid: Fast
• Vif: Alive
• Vite: Fast

English tempo markup

These terms are common in the world of music production and need no further explanation, but it’s worth listing them because you might be surprised that some of these words carry a specific tempo.

• Slowly
• Ballad
• Laid Back
• Medium: This is comparable to the pace of walking, or andante
• steady rock
• Medium Up
• Brisk
• brightly
• Up
• Quick

Additional terms

The above tempo notation mostly deals with normal tempo speed, but there are other words for expressive purposes. In fact, it is not uncommon to see tempo indication and one or more of the words listed below used together to indicate tempo more specifically.

For example, allegro agitato means a fast, excited tone. Molto allegro means very fast. With combined terms like Meno Mosso, Marcia moderato, Pio Mosso, motion pic Mosso, the sky is the limit. You will find that some pieces from the Classical and Baroque eras were named solely for their tempo marks.

These additional Italian words provide more musical context so that any piece can be played to convey the original meaning and feel of the composition.

• Picard: For fun
• Agitato: In an excited manner
• Kon Moto: With motion
• Assai: Very
• Energico: with energy
• L’istesso: With the same speed
• Ma non troppo: Not too much
• Marcia: In the style of a march
• Molto: Very
• Meno: Less fast
• Mosso: Animated Rapid
• Piu: More
• Poco: A little
• Subito: All of a sudden
• Tempo comodo: With comfortable speed
• Tempo Di: At speed
• Tempo Giusto: With constant speed
• Tempo Semplice: Normal speed

Change of pace

Music can change tempo between parts, but can also be freely adjusted, with the bpm smoothly transitioning from one part to another. It’s hard to find modern examples, but on this dark pop track by ASHWARYA you can feel the change of pace between verses and choruses:

Changes in tempo are found in all classical compositions:

In the example above, the tempo picks up after the first movement of the piece. There are other Italian words that can help musicians understand how to play this or that change of tempo. Many composers still use these terms today, so it’s worth understanding them if you want to prioritize more expressiveness when playing:

• Accelerando: Getting Faster
• Allargando: Decrease in tempo towards the end of the piece
• Doppio più mosso: Double speed
• Doppio più lento: half speed
• Lentando: Gradually getting slower and softer
• Meno mosso: Less movement
• Meno moto: Less movement
• Rallentando: Gradual Slowdown
• Ritardando: Slow Down
• Rubato: Freely adjusting the tempo according to the needs of the moment
• Tempo Primo or A Tempo: return to the original tempo

We all intuitively understand tempo, but you can discover many new musical possibilities if you take the time to understand how it works and integrate music theory into our daily productions. The Italian term will naturally sound unfamiliar to you, but the more you play the music and encounter these age-old tempo conventions, the more they will become second nature to your playing and expression.

Have fun playing with tempo in your music, and be sure to check out our other resources on understanding music theory.