SEPTEMBER 8, 2011 BY: TERESA ROSE

A ROUGH GUIDE TO TEMPO RANGES FOR

THE CONFUSED MUSICIAN
The tempo ranges for each of the tempo markings in music can really
vary. While there is nothing set in stone defining the exact speed of each
tempo marking, we do have some rough guidelines to help us make
decisions.
Please note that you can find several lists of ranges that are not exactly
the same, but they are fairly close in range. Use this list as a guide
and only your guide. It is up to you to decide what tempo fits best with the
style of music you are playing.

LIST OF TEMPO RANGES

Tempo Marking

Beats per Minute

Grave

40-50 BPM

Largo

50-55 BPM

Larghetto

55-60 BPM

Adagio

60-70 BPM

Andante

70-85 BPM

Moderato

85-100 BPM

Allegretto

100-115 BPM

Allegro

115-140 BPM

Vivace

140-150 BPM

Presto

150-170 BPM

Prestissimo

170+ BPM

Notice how the tempo markings suggest a range of tempos. There is not
any one tempo set in stone for each tempo marking. Why is this?
Because tempo markings were created well before metronomes were ever
invented.
Only now do we have the capacity to define tempos a little more with the
handy development of metronomes. Now science is helping us get a
better guideline as to what each of these markings mean.

WHAT ARE BEATS PER MINUTE?

Beats per minute (BMP) literally describes how many steady beats fit in
one minute of time. A metronome is set at a certain number of beats per
minute to help a musician play steadily and accurately at the appropriate
tempo. Sometimes our foot can lie when we tap it to hold a steady beat,
but our metronomes never do.
You can often find tempo ranges marked on the back of metronomes to
use as a guideline for different tempo markings. Again, every metronome
will have a slightly different list, so use your best judgment.

HOW DO I DECIDE WHAT THE BEST TEMPO IS?

All I can say is try a few different metronome markings to find out.
Tempos are all relative and not an exact science. You will need to play
around with your metronome a little to find out what will work best for your
music.
For example, if I play a march that is marked allegro, I may find that 115
BPM may be too slow while 140 BPM is way too fast. I might settle in at
120 BPM as a perfect tempo for the piece. Use your musical intuition to
help you decide.
As you can see, tempo ranges are all varying for each tempo marking you
find in your music. It really is a range and not an exact marking on your
metronome. Use the list above as your guideline and only your guideline.

Compare it to what is listed on the back of your metronome. Decide for

yourself what ranges fit each of the tempo markings best for each style of
music.