How fast is Allegro from Allegretto????
I have this question regarding tempo. I find it hard to figure out the difference between allegro and allegretto, or even allegro to moderato. I know that we can use a metronome, yet we can't bring our metronome to an exam room, can we? And since my next sight reading test (abrsm) there are tempos included I don't want to play out of tempo when at the same time I can't even remember every single tempo and their speed. :( Are there any ways to differenciate them when we play? Since I don't think that knowing the 'beat per second' of the tempo will help me in the real playing and there's just no possibility of me bringing in the metronome inside the exam room.
Replies (7)
Allegro is meant to sound fast or lively. Allegretto can be almost as quick, but has a playful or less-urgent feel to it. You should learn the trick of counting off seconds to help you guesstimate meter markings. The secondhand on your watch is mm (some note value)=60. Count two per click it's (something)=120. A little slower, 50's or 110-ish, etc.
Many is the time I've seen conductors in rehearsal check their watches like that when establishing tempi.
Thank you for 'the watch' idea and for the wikipedia link! :)
We need to learn how to determine the tempo from the content of the music. The tempo marking, allegro, andante, etc. is only one factor. Perhaps even more important is the content of the music itself, particularly the prevailing note values. In other words, an allegro with only whole notes and half notes will go at a very different metronome marking from an allegro filled with eighth notes. An allegro filled with sixteenth notes will go at yet another metronome marking. Also there is the question of how the note patterns lie on the instrument. Passages that jump around irregularly with a lot of big leaps imply a slower tempo than repetitive scale type passages. As we grow as musicians we build our ability to determine a good tempo from the music itself.
Thank you for 'the watch' idea and for the wikipedia link! :)
I like your last statement,"As we grow as musicians we build our ability to determine a good tempo from the music itself." ! :) Cos tempo is rather subjective, I think. For an instance, a certain conductor would have different "taste" of how 'allegro' a piece will be compared to other different conductors.
It makes some allegro pieces would sound less fast when it's been conducted by different conductors.
Yet I also have to make sure that I don't come up with my own perspective of the tempi when I am in an exam room (since I dont know how strict is the abrsm sight reading test when it comes to a tempo). However I do agree at certain point (quoting from ur statement) that I will soon find out my own tempo. :)
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December 12, 2012 at 04:57 PM · http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempo#Basic_tempo_markings