Tempo and Dynamics

Tempo

The speed or a pace of a piece.

Listen to different tempos. Tap to the steady beat.Chopin, Piano Concerto no. 2, 2nd Movementhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_dSI0gVbp0

Haydn, Symphony No. 98, Finalehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtIfVLHLeaQ

Tempo Measurement

Tempo is measured in beats per minute (BPM)

Allegro (fast tempo, the speed of a quarter note is 120 beats per minute):

Allegro

Metronome

A device that produces regular, metrical ticks (beats, clicks).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsJEMH_emBM

Tempo Markings• Tempo markings are mostly in Italian.• They are placed in the beginning of a piece.

Open the following score and look for the following Italian tempo markings: Largo, Allegro, Vivace, Allegro.Then, listen to the composition and try to determine what these markings mean.A. Corelli, Concerto Grosso in C Minor, op. 6 no. 3http://erato.uvt.nl/files/imglnks/usimg/1/1a/IMSLP254974-PMLP28008-Corelli_-_Concerto_grosso_No3_in_CM_for_2_Solo-Violins__Solo-Cello__Strings_and_Piano__Schering__score.pdf

http://content.thespco.org/music/compositions/concerto-grosso-in-c-minot-arcangelo-corelli/

Basic Slow Tempo Markings

• Grave – slow and solemn (20–40 BPM)• Lento – slowly (40–45 BPM)• Largo – broadly (45–50 BPM)• Larghetto – rather broadly (50–55 BPM)• Adagio – slow and stately (literally, "at

ease") (55–65 BPM)• Andante – at a walking pace (73–77 BPM)•Moderato – moderately (86–97 BPM)

Basic Fast Tempo Markings

• Allegro – fast, quickly and bright (109–132 BPM)• Vivace – lively and fast (132–140 BPM)• Presto – very fast (168–177 BPM)

Fast Tempos

• Allegro – 109 - 132 BPM• Beethoven, Sonata No. 8, “Patetique”, 3rd Mvt.

http://magnatune.com/artists/albums/sforster-beethoventhree/

Fast Tempos• Vivace – 132 - 140 BPM• Presto – 168 – 177 BPM

• W. A. Mozart, Sinfonia Concertante in E Flat Major, 3rd Movementhttp://content.thespco.org/music/compositions/sinfonia-concertante-for-violin-viola-and-orchestra-wolfgang-amadeus-mozart

Slow Tempos

• Grave – 20 - 40 BPM• Beethoven, Sonata No. 8, “Patetique”, 1st Mvt.http://magnatune.com/artists/albums/sforster-beethoventhree/

Slow Tempos• Lento – 40 - 45 BPM• Largo – 45 - 50 BPM• F. Chopin, Prelude No. 4 in E Minorhttp://magnatune.com/artists/albums/ilic-fugitive/

Slow Tempos

• Adagio – 55 - 65 BPM• Beethoven, Sonata No. 8, “Patetique”, 2nd Mvt.http://magnatune.com/artists/albums/sforster-beethoventhree/

Slow Tempos• Andante – 73 - 77 BPM• Haydn, Symphony No. 104 in D, “London”, 2nd

movement, Andantehttp://content.thespco.org/music/compositions/symphony-no-104-in-d-london-franz-joseph-haydn/

• Moderato – 86 - 97 BPM

Terms for Tempo Changes

• Accelerando – speeding up (abbreviation: accel.)• Ritenuto or Rallentando – gradual slowing

down • Rubato – free adjustment of tempo for

expressive purposes.• F. Chopin, Waltz No. 12 in E Majorhttp://magnatune.com/artists/albums/jjohnson-chopin /• G. Gershwin, “Rhapsody in Blue”http://content.thespco.org/music/compositions/rhapsody-in-blue-for-piano-and-jazz-band-george-gershwin/

Tempo Changes

An example of Ritenuto:R. Schumann, Piano Concerto

https://www.thespco.org/es/programs/schumanns-piano-concerto

http://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/3/39/IMSLP31875-PMLP03738-Schumann_-_Piano_Concerto__Op._54__orch._score_.pdf

Dynamics• p or piano, meaning "soft”• f or forte, meaning "loud.”

More subtle degrees of loudness or softness are indicated by:• mp, standing for mezzo-piano, meaning "moderately soft",

and• mf, standing for mezzo-forte, meaning "moderately loud”.

Beyond f and p, there are also• pp, standing for "pianissimo" and meaning "very soft", and• ff, standing for "fortissimo" and meaning "very loud".[5]

Listen for the dynamic changes in W. A. Mozart’s, Overture to “The Marriage of Figaro”.Look for the dynamic markings in the score before you start listening: pp, p, ff, p (next four pages).

http://content.thespco.org/music/compositions/overture-to-the-marriage-of-figaro-wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/

http://conquest.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/8/8e/IMSLP01198-The_Marriage_of_Figaro_Overture.pdf

Dynamics Changes

The following terms can be identified with cresc., dim., or the graphics below:

• Crescendo – gradually play louder.

• Diminuendo – gradually play softer.

Please listen for the dynamics changes in the following example with the score.F. Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 1, 1st Movement, Allegro maestoso

http://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/3/37/

IMSLP121206-PMLP03805-FChopin_Piano_Concerto_No.1__Op.11_BH12.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0y-rhw73Fo

Beethoven, Symphony 1, 3rd Movement, Menuetto

http://content.thespco.org/music/compositions/symphony-no-1-ludwig-van-beethoven/

Required Readings• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempo• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_dynamics