Tempo markings and BPM: a reference table
Tempo markings to BPM
| Marking | BPM | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Grave | 20-40 | Very slow and solemn |
| Largo | 40-60 | Broad, stately |
| Adagio | 66-76 | Slow, at ease |
| Andante | 76-108 | Walking pace |
| Moderato | 108-120 | Moderate |
| Allegro | 120-168 | Fast, bright |
| Vivace | 168-176 | Lively |
| Presto | 168-200 | Very fast |
| Prestissimo | 200+ | As fast as possible |
Where "MM" comes from
A marking such as "MM ♩= 120" on a score stands for Maelzel's Metronome, after Johann Maelzel, who patented the mechanical metronome in 1815. It means 120 quarter-note beats per minute. Modern scores usually drop the MM and write the note value directly.
Practical BPM ranges
| Use | BPM | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Learning a new passage | 50-70 | Slow enough that you never guess |
| Building accuracy | 70-100 | Raise in steps of 4 BPM |
| Most pop and rock | 100-130 | The centre of gravity for popular music |
| House and techno | 120-140 | Four-on-the-floor territory |
| Drum and bass | 160-180 | Usually felt at half time |
| Running cadence | 160-180 | Steps per minute, not musical tempo |
Practising with a metronome without becoming dependent on it
- Practise with beats deliberately silenced, so you have to keep time through the gaps rather than following the click.
- Move the click off the downbeat, put it on beats 2 and 4, then on the offbeats only.
- Halve the tempo and let the click mark every other beat, then every fourth.
- Record yourself without the click and listen back for places where the tempo changes.
Frequently asked
What does BPM stand for?
Beats per minute, the number of beats that occur in sixty seconds. A tempo of 120 BPM means two beats every second.
What does MM mean on sheet music?
Maelzel's Metronome, after Johann Maelzel who patented the mechanical metronome in 1815. "MM ♩= 120" means 120 quarter-note beats per minute.
Is a faster tempo always harder?
No. Very slow tempos are frequently harder because there is more empty time to fill and less momentum carrying you between beats. Many players are least accurate below 60 BPM.
Try it
Build the pattern and hear it
This is AnyBeat’s editor, running in the page. Tap the blocks to change them, pick a preset, press play.
Stopped
Stop fighting the metronome.
AnyBeat lets you build the bar you are actually practising, at any length and any grouping.
Keep reading
How to practise odd time signatures without losing the pulse
A practical method for counting and internalising 5/4, 7/8, 11/8 and other odd meters, by grouping them into small cells instead of counting to eleven.
TheoryAdditive meter: what 6-6-6-7 actually means
Additive meter builds a bar from unequal cells. Learn to read, count and programme groupings like 2+2+3 and 6-6-6-7, then hear how the cells lock together.
TheoryPolyrhythm vs polymeter: the difference, with examples
Polyrhythm divides one span of time in different ways. Polymeter runs different bar lengths over one pulse. Hear the difference and practise each one.