Tempo actually means "time" in Italian. The expression of tempo is either expressed in descriptive words or in beats per minute, called metronome markings. In the world of music theory, tempo refers to the speed, or pace, at which music is (or ought to be) played. The tempo intended for a piece of music is usually indicated by the composer with special markings on the written score. Tempo, however, is more of a reference point used to inform musicians how to express the emotional ideas originally experienced by the composer. In performance, tempo is often re-imagined by the mood of the conductors and musicians performing the music.

The influential Italian composers of the 17th century were the first to widely utilize descriptive words, like Allegro (lively), as tempo markings. After the manufacturing success of "Maelzel's" Metronome in 1816, many composers and music publishers began to replace the descriptive Italian tempo marks in musical scores with mathematical tempo marks, measured in beats per minute (bpm). Below are common descriptive tempo marks and their corresponding mathematical tempo marks (beats per minute).

Larghissimo - very, very slow (20 bpm and below)
Grave - slow and solemn (20-40 bpm)
Lento - slowly (40-60 bpm)
Largo - broadly (40-60 bpm)
Larghetto - rather broadly (60-66 bpm)
Adagio - slow and stately (literally, "at ease") (66-76 bpm)
Adagietto - rather slow (70-80 bpm)
Andante moderato - a bit slower than andante
Andante - at a walking pace (76-108 bpm)
Andantino - slightly faster than andante
Moderato - moderately (108-120 bpm)
Allegretto - moderately fast (but less so than allegro)
Allegro moderato - moderately quick (112-124 bpm)
Allegro - fast, quickly and bright (120-168 bpm)
Vivace - lively and fast (â‰ˆ140 bpm) (quicker than allegro)
Vivacissimo - very fast and lively
Allegrissimo - very fast Presto - very fast (168-200 bpm)
Prestissimo - extremely fast (more than 200bpm)

Here are marks used to modify tempo:

Accelerando - speeding up (abbreviation: accel.)

Allargando - growing broader; decreasing tempo, usually near the end of a piece

Calando - going slower (and usually also softer)

Doppio movimento - double speed

Lentando - gradual slowing and softer

Meno mosso - less movement or slower

Mosso - movement, more lively, or quicker, much like piÃ¹ mosso, but not as extreme

PiÃ¹ mosso - more movement or faster

Precipitando - hurrying, going faster/forward

Rallentando - gradual slowing down (abbreviation: rall.)

Ritardando - less gradual slowing down (more sudden decrease in tempo than rallentando; abbreviation: rit. or more specifically, ritard.)

Ritenuto - slightly slower; temporarily holding back.

Rubato - free adjustment of tempo for expressive purposes

Stretto - in faster tempo, often near the conclusion of a section.

Stringendo - pressing on faster (literally "tightening")

Note: Often, tempo terms are also used as expressions of mood. Used in this context, the descriptive tempo words are not specifically about the pace of the music. Rather, they convey the pace you might associate with a certain mood or "flavor."

*Tempo is not to be confused with Dynamics or Rhythm, two completely different concepts.

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