I have been searching the internet for a table converting word tempo's (slow, moderate fast, adante etc.) to beats per minute(BPM). Have not found a table as yet. Maybe someone on the forum can direct me to one.

Fran in Florida

it's subjective, thus many books have varying ranges of examples, but just click the classical tempos here for as good an approximation as any: http://www.smoothouse.org/projects/hizmo/bpm.asp?

"it's subjective, thus many books have varying ranges of examples".

How right you are. Could not believe the many web sites devoted to this issue. Makes it difficult to obtain a chart converting Musical Term to BPM. Thanks for the input, it helps.

Fran in Florida

Hi Fran,

Here's some additional help, perhaps. I have a very good quality metronome. It says:

Largo 40 - 60
Larghetto 60 - 66
Adagio 66 - 76
Andante 76 - 108
Moderato 108 - 120
Allegro 120 - 168
Presto 168 - 208

I like ranges of tempi rather than a single, solitary number. I play music within the ranges above usually, but I also take liberties by slowing or speeding up the tempo outside the recommended range for effect if that is the direction my mood or musical taste takes me.

Hope this helps.

Take care,

Chuck

How can there be such a thing as a single number? Beethoven writes allegro, Toscanini, Karajan and Kleiber all play at different tempos and rubatos, all are brilliant and valid performances.

Hi Alec,

I was merely referring to the suggested tempo (a single number) we see in printed music.

Best Wishes,

Chuck

If I know the tune, setting tempo is easy with the Tap Tempo. It is the strange piece with Italian tempo word that is confusing. Both of your inputs helps.

Fran in Florida

Hi Chuck, I was talking about traditional score marked with the traditional Italian descriptions that Fran asked about. If there is a suggested tempo at the top of an "easy play" score (hardly a traditional notation) there's no need to know what allegro means - you just dial it up

Fran, In all the years of my teaching and playing I do not feel I can do any song justice until I've heard the song played by the original composer.
I would rather see (In pop type of music)
1-Happy
2-Sad
3-lively
4-Slow with feeling
These I can understand.
So my rule is to do the best with what they give you knowing that till I've heard the song there I can not play it as the composer wanted played.
On the good side, there are many times when my interpation was better than the original. Then again I would think that. ha ha

Do you remember the song, "Breaking up is hard to do" It was recorded in different tempos. I felt the slow version was the best.

Music is fun, John C.

John,

Right you are. Look forward to our meeting at the Jam.

Fran in Florida