In music, tempo is the speed at which a song is meant to be played. In a musical score the tempo is typically described in one of two ways:
by an exact BPM (beats-per-minute) annotation, or
with a tempo marker that (by convention) corresponds to a small range of BPM values.
See below for examples of bpm by musical genre and for definition of tempo markings found in conventional musical scores in Italian, French, and German.
Tempo by Genre
In contemporary music, tempo often specified in beats per minute (BPM): the number of "pulses" in 60 seconds, where a pulse is typically (but not always) a quarter note. More generally a beat is the fundamental unit of time in a composition, often corresponding to the bottom number in a time signature. This is especially true for dance-oriented genres like Disco, Dub, EDM, House, Drum & Bass, etc., since the precise bpm value makes it easier for a DJ to synchronize the rhythm when mixing or transitioning between two songs.
The following table lists the typical tempo in beats-per-minute for various contemporary musical genres.
| Genre | Typical BPM |
|---|---|
| R&B | 60 to 80 bpm |
| Reggae | 60 to 90 bpm |
| Hip-hop | 70 to 100 bpm |
| Dubstep | 80 to 90 bpm |
| Waltz | 84 to 90 bpm |
| Samba | 96 to 104 bpm |
| Rumba | 100 to 108 bpm |
| Pop | 100 to 130 bpm |
| Country | 108 to 148 bpm |
| Rock | 110 to 140 bpm |
| Polka | 115 to 135 bpm |
| House | 118 to 135 bpm |
| Jazz | 120 to 130 bpm |
| Classical | 120 to 140 bpm |
| Techno | 120 to 160 bpm (traditionally 140 bpm precisely) |
| Metal | 128 to 160 bpm |
| Funk | 130 to 140 bpm |
| Trance | 130 to 150 bpm |
| Drum & Bass | 160 to 180 bpm |
| Salsa | 180 to 240 bpm |
| Genre | Typical BPM |
These ranges are representative but not prescriptive. With few exceptions, tempo is not the defining characteristic of most genres of music. You'll find examples well outside of these tempo ranges for most genres.
Traditional Tempo Markings
Prior to the advent of recorded music, however, the tempo of a composition was conventionally described in more general terms. I.e., a musical score might describe the tempo of a song (or section of a song) as "fast" or "slow" - or in relative terms like "faster" or "slower" - but the exact tempo in BPM would be, at least in part, up to the performer's discretion.
Italian Tempo Names
Historically the intended speed of a composition would be indicated by tempo markings: Italian-language tempo annotations that don't necessarily indicate a specific bpm, but generally map to a small range of bpm values.
The following table summarizes many of the tempo indicators you're likely to encounter in a traditional musical score, including a literal translation of the term and the modern understanding of those tempos expressed as a range of beats-per-minute values.
| Tempo Name | Meaning | BPM Range |
|---|---|---|
| Larghissimo | extremely slow | less than 25 bpm |
| Adagissimo | very slow | 25 to 40 bpm |
| Grave | slow and solem | 25 to 50 bpm |
| Largo | slow and broad | 40 to 60 bpm |
| Lento | slow | 45 to 60 bpm |
| Larghetto | slow and broad; slightly faster than Largo | 60 to 66 bpm |
| Adagio | slow and lesisurely | 66 to 76 bpm |
| Adagietto | moderately slow; slightly faster than Adagio; slightly slower than Andante | 70 to 80 bpm |
| Andante | walking pace | 76 to 108 bpm |
| Maestoso | majestically | 80 to 100 bpm |
| Andantino | slightly faster walking pace; faster than Andante | 80 to 112 bpm |
| Marcia moderato | marching pace | 82 to 86 bpm |
| Andante moderato | moderately fast walking pace; between Andante and Moderato | 92 to 116 bpm |
| Moderato | moderate | 108 to 120 bpm |
| Allegretto | moderately fast | 112 to 116 bpm |
| Allegro Moderato | moderately fast; slightly slower than Allegro | 116 to 120 bpm |
| Allegro | fast and merry | 120 to 160 bpm |
| Vivace | quick and lively | 140 to 180 bpm |
| Presto | very fast | 160 to 200 bpm |
| Vivacissimo | very fast and lively; faster than Vivace; slower than Presto | 170 to 180 bpm |
| Allegrissimo | very fast; faster than Allegro | 170 to 180 bpm |
| Allegro vivace | very fast; faster than Allegro | 172 to 176 bpm |
| Prestissimo | extremely fast; faster than Presto | more than 200 bpm |
| Tempo Name | Meaning | BPM Range |
Note that the indicated beats-per-minute ranges are approximate. There is no single, fixed translation of these terms into BPM. Some sources may describe a given tempo keyword as slightly slower or faster; but these are fairly typical interpretations.
German Tempo Names
Certain older compositions use German-language terms (rather than Italian) to describe tempo.
| Tempo Name | Meaning | BPM Range |
|---|---|---|
| Sehr Breit | very slow | less than 30 bpm |
| Schwer | slow and heavy | 30 to 50 bpm |
| Breit | slowly, broadly | 40 to 60 bpm |
| Langsam | slow | 50 to 70 bpm |
| Mäßig (Mässig ) | moderate | 88 to 112 bpm |
| Schnell | fast | 120 to 140 bpm |
| Lebhaft | lively | 130 to 150 bpm |
| Sehr Schnell | very fast | 140 to 200 bpm |
| Rasch | quickly | 170 to 190 bpm |
| Äusserst Schnell | extremely fast | 180 to 220 bpm |
| Tempo Name | Meaning | BPM Range |
As before, these ranges are approximate. Some sources will cite slightly different ranges.
French Tempo Names
Other scores are annotated with French tempo markings.
| Tempo Name | Meaning | BPM Range |
|---|---|---|
| Extrêmement large | very slow | less than 40 bpm |
| Grave | slow and solem | 30 to 50 bpm |
| Large | slowly, broadly | 42 to 66 bpm |
| Lent | slow | 50 to 70 bpm |
| Tranquil | tranquil, serene | 70 to 90 bpm |
| Modéré | moderate | 80 to 110 bpm |
| Assez Vite | moderately fast | 100 to 128 bpm |
| Vite | fast | 110 to 160 bpm |
| Rapide | lively, rapid | 140 to 200 bpm |
| Très Vite | very fast | 150 to 180 bpm |
| Très Rapide | very lively | 180 to 220 bpm |
| Tempo Name | Meaning | BPM Range |
Once again, these ranges are approximate.
