Tempo Markings Chart — Free Printable PDF
Every Italian tempo term from grave to prestissimo with its metronome range and what it actually asks for, plus a second chart of dynamics from ppp to fff and the accent marks that go with them. Hit Print or Download PDF for both charts on one page — no signup. Part of the music theory reference set.
Prints on one US Letter page. Set margins to "None" for the sharpest result.
Tempo & Dynamics Markings
Italian terms, metronome speeds ( = beats per minute) and what each one means
Tempo Markings — Slowest to Fastest
| Italian term | Metronome | What it means | Literally |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grave | 20–40 | Very slow and solemn | grave, serious |
| Largo | 40–60 | Broad and stately | broad |
| Lento | 45–60 | Slow | slow |
| Larghetto | 60–66 | A shade quicker than largo | somewhat broad |
| Adagio | 66–76 | Slow and unhurried | at ease |
| Andante | 76–108 | Walking pace | going, walking |
| Andantino | 80–108 | Slightly quicker than andante | little andante |
| Moderato | 108–120 | Moderate speed | moderate |
| Allegretto | 112–120 | Moderately fast, lighter than allegro | little allegro |
| Allegro | 120–156 | Fast and bright | cheerful, lively |
| Vivace | 156–176 | Lively and quick | vivacious |
| Presto | 168–200 | Very fast | quick |
| Prestissimo | 200+ | As fast as the piece can be played | very quick |
Bands overlap on purpose — the term describes character as much as speed, and a printed mark ( = 96) wins over the word.
Dynamics — Softest to Loudest
| Mark | Italian | How loud | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| ppp | pianississimo | As soft as possible | |
| pp | pianissimo | Very soft | |
| p | piano | Soft | |
| mp | mezzo piano | Moderately soft | |
| mf | mezzo forte | Moderately loud | |
| f | forte | Loud | |
| ff | fortissimo | Very loud | |
| fff | fortississimo | As loud as possible |
Dynamics are relative, not absolute — mf on a solo flute and mf in a full orchestra are nothing like the same volume.
Changing the Tempo
Changing the Volume & Accents
Words That Modify a Marking
They attach to any term above — Allegro ma non troppo is fast but not too fast, and subito p drops to soft without warning.
printablepolly.com/tempo-markings
How to Use This Tempo Chart
1. Read the word, then set the metronome
Find the term printed above the first bar of your piece, take a number from the middle of its range, and set the metronome there. Play a few bars: if it feels rushed, drop to the bottom of the band; if it drags, move up. The range exists because allegro on a solo violin and allegro for a choir are not the same speed.
2. Check which note gets the beat
A metronome mark counts beats, not notes — = 120 means 120 quarter notes a minute, but in 6/8 the beat is usually a dotted quarter, so 120 there is three times as many eighth notes. The note values chart shows what each note is worth once you know which one is counted.
3. Practice slow, then move up the chart
The reliable way to reach an allegro is to learn the passage at adagio, then add 4–8 BPM only once you can play it cleanly twice in a row. Working up the chart in named steps — adagio, andante, moderato, allegro — gives a student something concrete to tick off instead of an abstract number.
4. Mark up your own music
Pencil the BPM you settled on above the tempo term, and bracket the bars where a crescendo really starts and stops — most students begin one too late. Writing dynamics onto blank staff paper is the fastest way to memorize the symbols, and the key signatures chart covers the other thing printed at the start of every piece.
Printable PDF
The charts above are the whole thing — one US Letter page, black-and-white friendly, with the tempo terms, the dynamics and the change markings together. Print as many copies as you need for a classroom or studio. No signup, no watermark.
Metronomes and theory books to go with the chart
As an Amazon Associate, Printable Polly earns from qualifying purchases. Prices are approximate and set by Amazon.
- Digital pick
Korg MA-2 Digital Metronome
Its 30–252 BPM range covers every band on this chart, from grave to prestissimo, and it also counts subdivisions and time signatures — the part a printed chart can't do. Pocket-sized, runs on two AAAs, and has a headphone jack for quiet practice.
- Mechanical pick
Wind-up mechanical metronome (pendulum)
The sliding weight on a pendulum metronome is labeled with the same Italian terms as this chart — largo, andante, moderato, allegro, presto — so a student sets the word and sees the speed at the same time. No batteries, and the swinging arm is easier to follow than a beep.
- Theory book
Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory: Complete (Books 1–3)
The workbook most piano teachers hand out. Tempo terms and dynamics sit alongside note values, intervals and key signatures, with written exercises and ear training — so the chart on the wall has something to practice against.
More Printable Music Charts
Music Theory Basics
Notes, keys, intervals & dynamics
🎶Note Values Chart
Whole to sixteenth notes & beat counts
🎼Key Signatures Chart
All 15 keys in treble & bass clef
🎼Staff Paper
Blank manuscript paper to write on
🎻Instrument Range Chart
Written & sounding ranges by instrument
🥁Drum Notation Chart
Drum set symbols, time signatures & a practice grid
FAQ
What BPM is allegro?
Allegro is conventionally 120–156 beats per minute. The word is Italian for cheerful or lively, which is the better guide: allegro asks for a bright, energetic character, and a piece marked allegro in 1750 was generally taken slower than one marked allegro in 1900.
What tempo is andante?
Andante is 76–108 BPM — walking pace. It comes from andare, to walk, so the test is whether you could stroll comfortably to the beat. Andantino (80–108) is usually read as a little quicker and lighter than andante, though a few composers, Beethoven among them, used it to mean the opposite.
What is the order of dynamics from softest to loudest?
ppp, pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff, fff. Piano means soft and forte means loud; mezzo means half, so mp is moderately soft and mf moderately loud. Adding letters intensifies — pp is softer than p, ff louder than f. Dynamics are relative, not absolute: mf in a solo flute part and mf in a full orchestra are very different volumes.
What does sfz mean in music?
Sfz is sforzando — a single note or chord played with sudden force, louder than the dynamic around it. It marks one attack and then the previous dynamic resumes, which is what separates it from a crescendo. Related marks: fp is loud then immediately soft, and rfz (rinforzando) is a short surge spread across a few notes rather than one.
Are tempo markings exact BPM numbers?
No. Composers had no precise way to specify speed until Maelzel's metronome arrived in 1815 — Beethoven was among the first to publish metronome marks for his own works, in 1817. Everything written before that carries only the Italian term, and the BPM bands on this chart are a modern convention that editions and reference books disagree about by 10 BPM or so. Treat them as a starting point, then let the character of the music decide.
Why are tempo and dynamic markings in Italian?
Italian musicians and publishers dominated European music through the Baroque period, so their vocabulary became the shared standard and stayed put. Later composers sometimes wrote in their own language instead — Schumann and Mahler in German, Debussy in French — but Italian is still what you meet on almost every printed page.
Is this tempo markings chart free to print?
Yes — click Print or Download PDF and you get the tempo chart and the dynamics chart on one US Letter page. No signup, no watermark, and no limit on copies for your classroom or music studio.