ritardando
Tempo winding down
Ritardando is a musical direction indicating a gradual slowing of tempo.
Often abbreviated *rit.* or *ritard.*, it tells performers to ease back progressively rather than slow abruptly: The piece ends with a gentle ritardando.
The term functions as both instruction and noun—a passage so marked is itself a ritardando.
Gradual tempo reduction
- accelerandoGradual tempo increase
- rubatoElastic musical timing
- adagioSlow musical tempo
- largoVery slow tempo
lento · andante · moderato · allegro · presto · vivace · grave · a tempo
Manner of expressing something
- nuanceSlight shade of difference
- cantabileIn singing manner
- legatoUnbroken musical phrasing
- tenutoHold full value
rubato · dolce · morendo · diminuendo · decrescendo · pianissimo · sotto voce · dying away
rallentando
Gradual tempo reduction
- accelerandoGradual tempo increase
- rubatoElastic musical timing
- adagioSlow musical tempo
largo · lento · andante · moderato · allegro · presto · vivace · grave · a tempo · metronome
phrasing
Manner of expressing something
tenuto · rubato · dolce · morendo · diminuendo · decrescendo · pianissimo · sotto voce · dying away · fading
conductor
One who directs musicians
phrasing · cue · downbeat · cutoff · ending · coda · fine · cadence
- music notationtreble clef, bass clef, clef, clefs, staff
- musical notationforte, score, piano, sheet music, notation
- musical termsadagio, andante, allegro, lento, largo
- musical expressiondynamics, articulation, phrasing, rubato, expression
- Tempotempo, a tempo, accelerando, adagio, allegretto
- slow musicadagio, adagios, andante, largo, lento
ritardandoaccelerando
Gradual tempo increase
speeding up · increasing · quickening · accelerating · veloce