UHS Wind Symphony Practice Exam

Understanding tempo markings and their relative speeds helps interpret how fast or slow to play. Allegro means fast and bright. Allegretto indicates a tempo that is a touch slower than allegro—still lively, but not as brisk. In the usual progression, adagio is slow, andante is walking pace, allegretto sits between andante and allegro, and allegro is the fastest. So a tempo marking that is slightly less fast than allegro is allegretto. The other terms describe slower (adagio, andante) or faster (allegro) tempos, so they don’t fit the description.