Basic Music Tempo Markings

Here follows a list of common tempo markings. The beats per minute (bpm) values are very rough approximations for 4/4 time.

These terms have also been used inconsistently through time. One example is that Allegretto hastened as a tempo from the 18th to the 19th century: originally it was just above Andante, instead of just below Allegro as it is now.  As another example, a modern largo is slower than an adagio, but in the Baroque period it was faster.


From slowest to fastest:

Larghissimo – very, very slow (24 bpm and under)
Adagissimo – very slowly
Sostenuto – sustained
Grave – very slow (25–45 bpm)
Largo – broadly (40–60 bpm)
Lento – slowly (45–60 bpm)
Larghetto – rather broadly (60–66 bpm)
Adagio – slowly with great expression (66–76 bpm)
Adagietto – slower than andante (72–76 bpm) or slightly faster than adagio (70–80 bpm)
Andante – at a walking pace (76–108 bpm)
Andantino – slightly faster than andante (although, in some cases, it can be taken to mean
                     slightly slower than andante) (80–108 bpm)
Marcia moderato – moderately, in the manner of a march(83–85 bpm)
Andante moderato – between andante and moderato (thus the name) (92–112 bpm)
Moderato – at a moderate speed (108–120 bpm)
Allegretto – by the mid 19th century, moderately fast (112–120 bpm)
Allegro moderato – close to, but not quite allegro (116–120 bpm)
Allegro – fast, quickly, and bright (120–156 bpm) (molto allegro is slightly faster than allegro,
                 but always in its range)
Animato
Agitato
Veloce
Mosso Vivo
Vivace – lively and fast (156–176 bpm)
Vivacissimo – very fast and lively (172–176 bpm)
Allegrissimo or Allegro vivace – very fast (172–176 bpm)
Presto – very, very fast (168–200 bpm)
Prestissimo – even faster than presto (200 bpm and over)


Additional terms:


A piacere – the performer may use his or her own discretion with regard to tempo and rhythm;
                    literally "at pleasure"
Con moto – Italian for "with movement"; can be combined with a tempo indication, e.g.,
                    Allegro con moto
Assai – (very) much
A tempo – resume previous tempo
L'istesso, L'istesso tempo, or Lo stesso tempo – at the same speed;
Molto – very 
Poco – a little
Subito – suddenly
Tempo comodo – at a comfortable (normal) speed
Tempo di... – the speed of a ... (such as Tempo di valse (speed of a waltz), Tempo di marcia (speed of a march)
Tempo giusto – at a consistent speed, at the 'right' speed, in strict tempo
Tempo semplice – simple, regular speed, plainly
Tempo primo – resume the original (first) tempo