Adagietto: Meaning, Speed and Practice Tools
Adagietto (A little faster than Adagio) covers 73–76 BPM in the classical tempo tradition.A touch quicker than Adagio, keeping a gentle character.
How fast is Adagietto in BPM?
Adagietto is the diminutive of Adagio, running 73 to 76 BPM. It is only a few beats per minute quicker, but the character shifts: where Adagio can be grand, Adagietto stays intimate and cantabile. It is common in chamber music and in film scores, and it makes a comfortable limit for practising slow passages before you push the tempo.
Adagietto in classical music
- •Tender and cantabile rather than monumental
- •The slight tempo lift keeps phrases from dragging
- •Frequent in chamber music and film scoring
- •Often marked espressivo or con delicatezza
- •A useful upper limit for slow technical practice
Famous pieces in Adagietto
Symphony No. 8 (2nd mvt.)
Franz Schubert (1822)
A singing Adagietto that carries enormous feeling at modest speed.
Symphony No. 40 (2nd mvt.)
W. A. Mozart (1788)
Often performed at Adagietto speed for a lighter feel.
Romeo and Juliet (Love Theme)
Prokofiev (1935)
A string Adagietto built for the balcony scene.
Try the Adagietto metronome
Try Adagietto here — set to 74 BPM, limited to 73–76 BPM for this marking.
How to practise at Adagietto
Practise here and focus on connected articulation — the bow, the breath or the pedal should carry between notes, not gaps. Because Adagietto is close to the edge of where slow practice stops being useful, use it as a stepping stone: sit here until the passage is secure, then move to Andante.
Related markings
Questions
Is Adagietto faster than Adagio?
Yes. Adagietto runs 73–76 BPM against Adagio at 65–72 BPM.
What does Adagietto mean?
A little slower than Adagio — the Italian diminutive form, slightly quicker and lighter in practice.
How fast should Adagietto be?
Most performances sit between 73 and 76 BPM, right at the top of the marked range.
Is Adagietto used in pop music?
Rarely as a label, but the tempo itself — slow, warm and flowing — is common in ballads and cinematic pop.
All markings
Browse every Italian tempo marking from Larghissimo to Ultra Presto: