By the numbers
Tempo markings with real BPM
Short answer
Allegro has a median of 100 BPM in the 27 art songs that carry a metronome mark (middle half 80–126) and 110 BPM in 52 Mutopia scores (middle half 89.5–120) — both below the 120–156 BPM Wikipedia gives for it. Andante is 66 BPM in the songs (n = 32) and 84 BPM in the scores (n = 35). The same word covers a wide spread: the Allegro marks in the songs run from 60 to 168 BPM.
- 100 / 110Allegro median BPM: art songs / Mutopia scores
- 66 / 84Andante median BPM: art songs / Mutopia scores
- 1,475real tempo marks counted (217 in songs, 1,258 in scores)
Datasets: 1,462 OpenScore Lieder songs, 217 of which carry a metronome mark (126 count here: quarter-note marks next to an opening tempo word), and 1,258 Mutopia scores with a readable tempo (BPM of the quarter-note). Beats per minute are for the quarter note. Real marks are what editors and composers printed, not how fast anyone plays.
Tempo markings chart: quoted ranges and real BPM
Quoted ranges for the same word disagree with each other (Andante runs 56–108 in Wikipedia and 76–108 on this site's older chart), and real scores sit below them for several terms. This chart puts all four side by side.
Beats per minute for the quarter-note beat, slowest term first. The two ranges on the left are what is usually quoted; the two columns on the right are what real scores say. “n < 5” means too few marks to show a median.
| Term | Literally | Wikipedia 'Tempo' (BPM) | This site's older chart (BPM) | Real marks, art songs: median BPM (n; middle half) | Real marks, Mutopia: median BPM (n; middle half) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largo | broad | 40–66 | 40–60 | n < 5 | n < 5 |
| Lento | slow | 40–60 | — | 47 (n = 8; 42–56.5) | n < 5 |
| Adagio | ad agio, at ease | 44–66 | 66–76 | 60 (n = 5; 44–60) | 75 (n = 8; 53.5–108) |
| Larghetto | broad-ish | 44–66 | — | n < 5 | n < 5 |
| Andantino | a little bit walking | 80–108 | — | 72 (n = 14; 63–89) | 91 (n = 24; 87–100) |
| Andante | walking | 56–108 | 76–108 | 66 (n = 32; 60–74) | 84 (n = 35; 72–100) |
| Moderato | moderate | 108–120 | 108–120 | 72 (n = 19; 69–84) | 100 (n = 32; 90–110) |
| Allegretto | a little bit joyful | 112–120 | — | 96 (n = 21; 84–116) | 96 (n = 37; 80–103) |
| Allegro | joyful; lively and fast | 120–156 | 120–156 | 100 (n = 27; 80–126) | 110 (n = 52; 89.5–120) |
| Vivace | vivacious | 156–176 | 156–176 | n < 5 | 110 (n = 11; 75–159) |
| Presto | prompt, quick; ready for action | 168–200 | 168–200 | n < 5 | n < 5 |
musictheoryprint.com/by-the-numbers/tempo-markings-real-bpm/ — Data: OpenScore Lieder (CC0), Mutopia Project, Wikipedia 'Tempo' (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Same word, different speeds
The middle half of real Allegro marks in the songs spans 80–126 BPM; Wikipedia's range for it is 120–156. Moderato sits at 72 and 100 BPM in the two datasets; Allegretto at 96 and 96.
Each row shows up to three bars on one BPM axis. Terms without enough marks in a dataset show no bar for it.
- Largo 40–66
- Lento 40–6047 (n=8)
- Adagio 44–6660 (n=5)75 (n=8)
- Larghetto 44–66
- Andantino 80–10872 (n=14)91 (n=24)
- Andante 56–10866 (n=32)84 (n=35)
- Moderato 108–12072 (n=19)100 (n=32)
- Allegretto 112–12096 (n=21)96 (n=37)
- Allegro 120–156100 (n=27)110 (n=52)
- Vivace 156–176110 (n=11)
- Presto 168–200
Same numbers as a table
| Row | Wikipedia range | Art songs: median (middle half) | Mutopia: median (middle half) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largo | 40–66 | — | — |
| Lento | 40–60 | 47 (42–56.5) | — |
| Adagio | 44–66 | 60 (44–60) | 75 (53.5–108) |
| Larghetto | 44–66 | — | — |
| Andantino | 80–108 | 72 (63–89) | 91 (87–100) |
| Andante | 56–108 | 66 (60–74) | 84 (72–100) |
| Moderato | 108–120 | 72 (69–84) | 100 (90–110) |
| Allegretto | 112–120 | 96 (84–116) | 96 (80–103) |
| Allegro | 120–156 | 100 (80–126) | 110 (89.5–120) |
| Vivace | 156–176 | — | 110 (75–159) |
| Presto | 168–200 | — | — |
How the marks are spread
Across all 1,258 Mutopia scores with a tempo, the middle of the distribution is 97 BPM and 79% of marks fall between 60 and 139. In the art songs the commonest opening word is Andante (194 songs), ahead of the German “Langsam” group (180) and Allegretto (159).
The extremes
A few real scores at both ends of each word's range. They show why a single BPM cannot be deduced from the word; Wikipedia says the same in the excerpt below.
Same word, very different speeds (art songs)
Songs whose first tempo word and metronome mark are shown; ♩ = BPM of the quarter note.
Allegro: from 60 to 168 BPM
The two fastest and the two slowest of the 27 marks.
- Chanson persane Augusta Mary Anne Holmès (1847–1903)from 20 MélodiesAllegro ♩ = 168
- Thy voice is heard Charles Villiers Stanford (1852–1924)from A Cycle of Songs, Op.68Allegro ♩ = 160
- The Ballad of Kingslea Mere, Op.19 Cyril Rootham (1875–1938)Allegro ♩ = 60
- One who never turned his back Alexander Mackenzie (1847–1935)Allegro ♩ = 69
Andante: from 48 to 96 BPM
The two fastest and the two slowest of the 32 marks.
- Rappelle-toi! Clémence de Grandval (1828–1907)from 6 Nouvelles mélodiesAndante ♩ = 96
- Hymne au soleil Augusta Mary Anne Holmès (1847–1903)from 20 MelodiesAndante ♩ = 90
- To Daisies Roger Quilter (1877–1953)from To Julia, Op.8Andante ♩ = 48
- C'est un oiseau du bois sauvage Augusta Mary Anne Holmès (1847–1903)from Vingt MélodiesAndante ♩ = 50
Allegretto: from 72 to 154 BPM
The two fastest and the two slowest of the 21 marks.
- The Maid of Elsinore Harold Boulton (1859–1935)from 12 New Songs by some of the best and best-known British composersAllegretto ♩ = 154
- Lullaby Peter Warlock (1894–1930)from SongsAllegretto ♩ = 152
- Amour d'automne (Autumn Loves) Cécile Chaminade (1857–1944)Allegretto ♩ = 72
- Madrigal Cécile Chaminade (1857–1944)Allegretto ♩ = 72
Moderato: from 62 to 104 BPM
The two fastest and the two slowest of the 19 marks.
- In the garden Liza Lehmann (1862–1918)from Songs of a “Flapper”Moderato ♩ = 104
- Absence Georges Bizet (1838–1875)from 20 Mélodies, Op.21Moderato ♩ = 96
- Hail! Frederic Hymen Cowen (1852–1935)Moderato ♩ = 62
- En sourdine Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924)from Cinq Mélodies, Op.58Moderato ♩ = 63
Hear the real medians
Compare the two datasets' medians for the same word by ear.
Hear the medians
A metronome click, four beats to the bar, accented on the first. Press again to stop. Generated in your browser.
- Andante, art songs median66 BPMn = 32
- Andante, Mutopia median84 BPMn = 35
- Moderato, art songs median72 BPMn = 19
- Moderato, Mutopia median100 BPMn = 32
- Allegretto, art songs median96 BPMn = 21
- Allegretto, Mutopia median96 BPMn = 37
- Allegro, art songs median100 BPMn = 27
- Allegro, Mutopia median110 BPMn = 52
What the sources say
Excerpts from Wikipedia on tempo and the metronome.
From Wikipedia
Tempo
Overview
In musical terminology, tempo (from Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or tempi from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given composition, and is often also an indication of the composition's character or atmosphere. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often using conventional Italian terms) and, if a specific metrical pace is desired, is usually measured in beats per minute (bpm or BPM). In modern classical compositions, a "metronome mark" in beats per minute, indicating only measured speed and not any form of expression, may supplement or replace the normal tempo marking, while in modern genres like electronic dance music, tempo will typically simply be stated in bpm.
Basic tempo markings
Here follows a list of common tempo markings. The beats per minute (bpm) values are very rough approximations for 4/4 time, and vary widely according to composers and works. A metronome marking cannot be deduced from one of the descriptive Italian or non-Italian terms alone. Where both metronome marking and a word indication occur together, the verbal cue is often also intended to express a style or feeling, which a metronome marking alone cannot do.
Source: Wikipedia, “Tempo” — CC BY-SA 4.0 — text excerpted; see the article for the full text and authors. Revision of 2026-05-20.
Metronome
A metronome is a device that produces an audible click or other sound at a uniform interval that can be set by the user, typically in beats per minute (BPM). Metronomes may also include synchronized visual motion, such as a swinging pendulum or a blinking light. Musicians—and others including dancers, athletes, and health professionals—often practise with a metronome to improve their timing, especially the ability to maintain a steady tempo with a regular beat or pulse. Composers and conductors often use numerical metronome markings to communicate their preferred tempos to musicians preparing for a performance.
Source: Wikipedia, “Metronome” — CC BY-SA 4.0 — text excerpted; see the article for the full text and authors. Revision of 2026-07-01.
How this was counted
- Art songs. For each song the first tempo word in the opening bars is matched against a fixed list of Italian terms (German, French and English words are grouped separately); the song's first metronome mark is used only if it is a plain quarter-note (♩ = N). 217 songs carry a mark of any kind; 126 have both a quarter-note mark and an Italian opening term.
- Mutopia. The tempo is the first
\tempocommand with a tempo word in the LilyPond source, with the BPM read from the MIDI file made from it (1,354 scores have a tempo command; 1,258 give a readable BPM). The figure is for a quarter note. - Statistics. Median and quartiles (the middle half of marks). Terms with fewer than 5 marks in a dataset show no median. The “middle half” is the range from the 25th to the 75th percentile.
- Quoted ranges. “Wikipedia” is the list in the article Tempo, section Basic tempo markings (revision of 2026-05-20); “this site's older chart” is the range shown on the Italian musical terms chart for the nine terms it covers.
- Check. The Lieder medians were recomputed from the individual marks in the score index and equal the dataset file.
Data used
- OpenScore Lieder Corpus — 1,462 art songs (mostly 19th-century European) transcribed to MusicXML by volunteers; key signatures, time signatures, tempo words, metronome marks, vocal lines and melodies are read directly from the files. CC0 1.0
- The Mutopia Project — 2,129 free-to-use scores (LilyPond sources and the MIDI files made from them) for piano, guitar, voice, organ, violin and more; keys, time signatures and tempo marks are read from the MIDI or the source header. per piece: public domain, CC BY or CC BY-SA (only counts are shown here)
What these numbers cannot tell you
- A printed metronome mark is the editor's or composer's wish, not a measured performance; and the Italian word may have been added by a later editor. Real performances are not measured here.
- Only plain quarter-note marks are used. Songs in 6/8 or 12/8 that give a dotted-quarter mark, and marks with a half-note or eighth-note beat, are not in the BPM figures.
- Samples are small for some words (Adagio: 5 art songs and 8 Mutopia scores), and the two datasets differ in era and style: art songs are mostly 19th-century, Mutopia is mostly Baroque to Romantic music.
- A word's meaning has shifted over time (Wikipedia notes this for Allegretto, Largo and Adagio), so a single range cannot be right for all periods.
Checks run each time this page is rebuilt (35)
- Lieder Allegretto: 21 individual metronome marks give median 96 (min 72, max 154), as in the dataset file
- Lieder Adagio: 5 individual metronome marks give median 60 (min 40, max 60), as in the dataset file
- Lieder Moderato: 19 individual metronome marks give median 72 (min 62, max 104), as in the dataset file
- Lieder Andantino: 14 individual metronome marks give median 72 (min 58, max 104), as in the dataset file
- Lieder Andante: 32 individual metronome marks give median 66 (min 48, max 96), as in the dataset file
- Lieder Allegro: 27 individual metronome marks give median 100 (min 60, max 168), as in the dataset file
- Lieder Lento: 8 individual metronome marks give median 47 (min 40, max 96), as in the dataset file
- Mutopia Moderato: quartiles are in order
- Mutopia Adagio: quartiles are in order
- Mutopia Andante: quartiles are in order
- Mutopia Allegro: quartiles are in order
- Mutopia Allegretto: quartiles are in order
- Mutopia Andantino: quartiles are in order
- Mutopia Vivace: quartiles are in order
- the 20-BPM bands add up to 1,258 Mutopia pieces
- metronome units add up to 217 songs with a mark
- Wikipedia's Tempo list has a BPM range for Largo: 40–66
- Wikipedia's Tempo list has a BPM range for Lento: 40–60
- Wikipedia's Tempo list has a BPM range for Adagio: 44–66
- Wikipedia's Tempo list has a BPM range for Larghetto: 44–66
- Wikipedia's Tempo list has a BPM range for Andantino: 80–108
- Wikipedia's Tempo list has a BPM range for Andante: 56–108
- Wikipedia's Tempo list has a BPM range for Moderato: 108–120
- Wikipedia's Tempo list has a BPM range for Allegretto: 112–120
- Wikipedia's Tempo list has a BPM range for Allegro: 120–156
- Wikipedia's Tempo list has a BPM range for Vivace: 156–176
- Wikipedia's Tempo list has a BPM range for Presto: 168–200
- both real Allegro medians are below the lower end (120) of Wikipedia's Allegro range
- both real Andante medians fall inside Wikipedia's Andante range 56–108
- Mutopia's Andante median is above the Lieder one
- every common term has real marks in at least one dataset
- Andante is the commonest opening tempo word
- most Mutopia marks (79.2%) fall between 60 and 140 BPM
- second and third commonest opening words are the Langsam group and Allegretto
- the Wikipedia excerpt contains the caveat that BPM values are very rough approximations
Data: OpenScore Lieder Corpus (CC0 1.0); The Mutopia Project (per piece: public domain, CC BY or CC BY-SA (only counts are shown here)); Wikipedia (excerpts) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Computed for this site on 2026-10-03; the numbers are counts or shares from the datasets named above, not estimates for music in general. Licences and credits for everything used on this site are on the credits page.