Ritardando, rallentando, and accelerando are musical directions that change tempo gradually. Ritardando tells performers to slow down, rallentando also indicates a gradual slowing or broadening, and accelerando tells performers to become faster.
Ritardando and rallentando are often treated similarly, and their precise distinction is not universal. The score, phrase, destination, style, and performance tradition should guide how each change is shaped.
The Main Differences
| Marking | Abbreviation | Basic instruction |
|---|---|---|
| Ritardando | rit. or ritard. | Gradually slow down |
| Rallentando | rall. | Gradually slow or broaden |
| Accelerando | accel. | Gradually speed up |
These directions describe movement between tempos. They do not automatically specify the final BPM or exactly how quickly the change should occur.
What Does Ritardando Mean?
Ritardando means gradually becoming slower. It often appears near a cadence, transition, expressive arrival, or ending.
A successful ritardando should sound intentional. The beats widen progressively rather than changing suddenly or becoming unstable. The amount of slowing depends on what follows.
A short ritardando before a tempo may create a brief expressive relaxation. A ritardando at the end of a piece may expand more broadly and settle into the final note.
What Does Rallentando Mean?
Rallentando also instructs performers to slow down gradually. It is often interpreted as a broadening or relaxing of motion, but composers and traditions do not use the term with complete consistency.
Some performers distinguish rallentando from ritardando by giving it a more expansive character. Others treat the two words as near-synonyms. Avoid imposing a rigid difference when the music does not support one.
Look at the phrase, harmony, dynamics, articulation, and destination to decide how the slowing should feel.
Ritardando vs Rallentando
Both markings generally indicate a gradual decrease in tempo. The practical distinction may be:
- Ritardando: A direct gradual slowing
- Rallentando: A slowing that may also feel broader or more relaxed
This is an interpretive tendency, not a universal rule. Historical usage, language, editing, and individual composers can blur the difference.
If the score provides no other clue, focus on creating a controlled slowdown that supports the musical phrase instead of trying to force two sharply different effects.
What Does Accelerando Mean?
Accelerando means gradually becoming faster. It can build excitement, increase urgency, connect sections, or lead toward a new tempo.
The acceleration should normally have a clear shape. It may begin gently and intensify, proceed evenly, or follow the growing energy of the music. The final speed is often indicated by a new tempo marking or confirmed by the section that follows.
An accelerando is not an uncontrolled rush. Performers must preserve rhythm, balance, articulation, and ensemble coordination while the intervals between beats become shorter.
Gradual Change vs Immediate Change
Ritardando, rallentando, and accelerando unfold over time. An immediate change begins at a specific point with a new tempo instruction or BPM.
For example:
- Accelerando asks for a progressive increase.
- A new marking such as Allegro can establish a faster tempo immediately.
- Ritardando asks for progressive slowing.
- A new Adagio marking can introduce a slower tempo at once.
The visual placement and duration of the marking help show where the transition begins and ends.
What Does A Tempo Mean?
A tempo means return to the tempo that applied before a temporary change.
If a phrase contains a ritardando followed by a tempo, slow down through the marked passage and then resume the earlier pulse. Do not continue at the slower tempo unless the score indicates a new one.
The return may be immediate or shaped by the musical context, but the target should be clear to all performers.
What Does Tempo Primo Mean?
Tempo primo or tempo I means return to the first or original tempo of the piece or movement. It is useful when several tempo sections have occurred and a tempo could be ambiguous.
Identify the original practical pulse and beat unit before the return. The same numerical BPM can feel different if the meter or note value has changed.
Related Tempo-Change Terms
Ritenuto
Ritenuto generally suggests holding back or becoming slower more immediately than a gradual ritardando. Usage varies, so context remains important.
Allargando
Allargando usually suggests becoming broader, often with a slower tempo and fuller sound.
Stringendo
Stringendo means pressing forward. It can involve increasing speed, urgency, or both.
Meno mosso
This means less movement and generally introduces a slower character or tempo.
Più mosso
This means more movement and generally introduces a faster or more animated section.
Rubato
Rubato allows expressive flexibility rather than prescribing one continuous acceleration or slowdown. Time may be stretched and compressed within a phrase while musical coherence remains intact.
How Much Should the Tempo Change?
The marking alone rarely gives an exact amount. Determine the scale of the change from:
- The length of the marked passage
- The tempo that follows
- Harmonic arrival
- Dynamic shape
- Phrase ending
- Style and period
- Conductor or ensemble direction
- A written destination BPM, if present
If a new tempo follows, plan the change so you arrive at that speed naturally. If a tempo follows, create enough change to be expressive without making the return sound disconnected.
How to Perform a Smooth Ritardando
- Identify where the slowing begins and ends.
- Keep subdividing the beat internally.
- Lengthen successive beat intervals gradually.
- Maintain phrase direction toward the destination.
- Avoid making the first slower beat disproportionately long.
- Know the target tempo before you begin.
The slowdown can be even or shaped, but it should not sound accidental.
How to Perform a Controlled Accelerando
- Begin from a stable pulse.
- Decide the destination tempo.
- Shorten beat intervals progressively.
- Keep subdivisions proportional.
- Reduce unnecessary physical movement as speed increases.
- Preserve accents and phrase grouping.
- Arrive together if performing in an ensemble.
If the rhythm becomes uneven, practice a smaller tempo range before attempting the complete acceleration.
Practicing Tempo Changes with a Metronome
A fixed click cannot perform a continuous transition unless the device has a ramping feature, but it can define the starting and ending tempos.
Use this method:
- Set the online metronome to the starting BPM.
- Internalize that pulse.
- Set and hear the destination BPM.
- Practice moving between the two without the click.
- Check both endpoints again.
- Record yourself and listen for sudden jumps or uneven beats.
This builds awareness of the complete tempo path rather than dependence on one fixed click.
Tempo Changes in Ensemble Music
An ensemble needs shared cues. A conductor or leader may show the changing beat size and rate, while performers listen for subdivisions and phrase direction.
Common problems include:
- Some players changing earlier than others
- The group slowing too much on the first beat
- Faster notes rushing ahead during accelerando
- Long notes failing to follow the changing pulse
- An unclear return at a tempo
Rehearse the transition, not only the passages before and after it.
Reading the Markings in a Score
Tempo-change words usually appear above the staff. A dashed line or continued text may show how long the instruction applies. A new tempo, a tempo, or the end of the marked passage indicates the destination.
Read surrounding dynamics and expressive markings together. The guide to tempo instructions in sheet music explains their placement and interaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ritardando the same as rallentando?
They both indicate gradual slowing and are often used similarly. Rallentando may suggest broader relaxation, but the distinction is not universal.
What is the opposite of accelerando?
Ritardando or rallentando can function as the opposite because they direct the tempo to become slower.
Does ritardando mean immediately slower?
No. Ritardando normally means gradually slowing. Ritenuto more often suggests an immediate holding back, although usage varies.
What happens after a ritardando?
The score may introduce a new tempo, continue at the slower pace, or use a tempo to return to the previous speed.
How fast should an accelerando become?
The destination depends on the following marking and musical context. When possible, identify the target BPM or pulse before beginning.
Shape the Change Toward a Destination
Ritardando and rallentando gradually reduce speed; accelerando gradually increases it. The most important element is not the label alone but the path toward the next musical point. Establish both endpoints, preserve subdivision, and let the phrase determine how the tempo changes between them.