The Turtle and the Hare: Tempos in

MusicIndicates the speed or pace of

a given piece of music

Imagine tapping your toe or head banging to your

favorite piece of music….» You will be moving to the tempo,

which will be slow, medium or fast.

» In music, a tempo is given to the performer to let them know what speed to play.

Where is the tempo and what does it look like?

The tempo is found above or below a staff of music.

The initial tempo is in the top left hand corner of the piece.

Are you smart enough? In music, tempos are given

using words in the Italian language.

Mamma Mia, get ready for

some Italiano!

Let’s start with SLOW tempos

Say the word and s-t-r-e-t-c-h it out

LARGO

He’s in no hurry…

Very Slow

SLOW Tempos

Adagio

Imagine saying it like these ladies-

“Adahhhhgio” with the pinky up

Not as slow as largo

MEDIUM Tempos

AndanteCalled a “walking tempo”

Enjoying the scenery- Walking with medium speed

MEDIUM Tempos

ModeratoSounds like the word “moderate,” which means reasonable or medium speed.

Enjoying a ride through the trails

FAST Tempos

AllegroFaster than

andante

Sprinters run at top speeds of 25 mph.That’s FAST!

FAST Tempos

PRESTOVery fast speed

Race cars can reach speeds of over 220 mph. That’s VERY fast!

A Quick Timeline of Tempos

Slow Medium Fast

Here are your choices:

-Allegro-Andante-Presto-Adagio-Largo-Moderato

1.

2.

1.

2.1.

2.

In the next slide, put the pictures with the correct

tempo

There are 2 correct answers for each picture

1. 2.3.

4.5. 6.

Click when you’re readyIf you need a quick review, click the ?

I Loves You Porgy by Keith Jarrett

A. LargoB. Presto

C. Moderato

Limehouse Blues by Cannonball Adderly

A. AdagioB. Allegro

C. Moderato

The Bird and the Worm by Owl City

A. LargoB. PrestoC. Moderato

All You Need is Love by the Beatles

A. PrestoB. Largo

C. Andante

How High the Moon by the Other Guys

A. AndanteB. Largo

C. Moderato

William Tell Overture by Rossini

A. AdagioB. Presto

C. Allegro

Just a couple of extras:The tempo is also given a number

that equals the BPM (beats per minute.)

A metronome will click the tempo to help you practice playing precisely.

Links to more tempo information…

Wikipedia- Tempo Article

San Francisco Symphony- Tempo

Free Metronome Online

Free Metronome for your Ipod touch or Iphone