Composers use a range of signs and symbols to convey how they want their music to be played. Learning to recognise these instructions is an important skill to develop.
In music, speed is referred to as tempo. A tempo marking is usually given at the beginning of a piece.
Many musical terms are in Italian because it was mainly Italian composers - such as Vivaldi, Monteverdi, da Palestrina, and Gabrieli - who invented musical notation as we know it today:
You only need to remember the four tempos below for your exam:
Adagio - slow
Andante - a walking pace
Moderato - moderately
Allegro - quick and lively
Change of tempo
Sometimes a piece of music changes tempo. The following words can be used to describe tempo changes:
Accelerando - getting faster
Rallentando - slowing down, normally for emphasis
Ritardando - slowing down, holding back
A tempo - return to the original tempo after speeding up or slowing down