Reference Library
OVERTONE SERIES
Look at the prime, octave, major third and major fifth degree pitches in the chart below. Then ask yourself, what three pitches make-up the C major chord and why. Once you can answer this question, you will have gone to the next level in music.
Basic tempo markings
The common tempo markings are:
- Adagietto — rather slow (70–80 bpm)
- Adagio — slow and stately (literally, "at ease") (66–76 bpm)
- Agitato – hurried, restless
- Allegretto grazioso — moderately fast and gracefully
- Allegretto — moderately fast (but less so than allegro)
- Allegrissimo — very fast
- Allegro — fast and bright or "march tempo" (120–168 bpm)
- Allegro appassionato – fast and passionately
- Allegro moderato — moderately quick (112–124 bpm)
- Andante — at a walking pace (76–108 bpm)
- Andante Moderato — a bit faster than andante
- Andantino – slightly faster than andante
- Grave — slow and solemn
- Largamente — broadly
- Larghetto — rather broadly (60–66 bpm)
- Larghissimo — very, very slow (20 bpm and below)
- Largo — very slow (40–60 bpm), like lento
- Lento — very slow (40–60 bpm)
- Lento assai – even more slowly than lento
- Lento Moderato — moderately slow
- Moderato espressivo — moderately with expression
- Moderato — moderately (108–120 bpm)
- Prestissimo — extremely fast (more than 200bpm)
- Presto — very fast (168–200 bpm)
- Sostenuto – sustained, prolonged
- Tranquillamente — adverb of tranquillo, "calmly"
- Tranquillo — tranquil
- Vivace — lively and fast (≈140 bpm)(quicker than allegro.)
- Vivacissimamente — adverb of vivacissimo, "very quickly and lively"
- Vivacissimo — very fast and lively
- Vivo — lively and alive