Moderato: Meaning, Speed and Practice Tools
Moderato (Moderately) covers 93–100 BPM in the classical tempo tradition.Moderate and balanced.
How fast is Moderato in BPM?
Moderato covers 93 to 100 BPM and means moderately — neither hurried nor dragging. It is the tempo of the steady, unremarkable pulse that most music actually sits in. Where Largo and Adagio are used for effect, Moderato is the default: balanced enough that you can work in it for a long session without fatigue.
Moderato in classical music
- •Balanced and unforced, with neither urgency nor languor
- •The most common unmarked tempo across the repertoire
- •Sustainable for long practice sessions
- •Suits chord progressions, scales and steady accompaniment patterns
- •Works on every instrument without awkward technical demands
Famous pieces in Moderato
Symphony No. 5 (1st mvt.)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1808)
A driving but steady opening pulse.
The Four Seasons — Autumn (1st mvt.)
Antonio Vivaldi (1723)
Moderate, rolling figures that sit comfortably in the middle range.
Piano Sonata No. 14 (1st mvt.)
W. A. Mozart (1781)
A balanced Allegro that many players settle into as Moderato.
Try the Moderato metronome
Try Moderato here — set to 96 BPM, limited to 93–100 BPM for this marking.
How to practise at Moderato
Moderato is the tempo to build endurance in. Practise here for scales, chord progressions and arpeggios with metronome accuracy across full value. Because nothing about this range is technically extreme, poor results here are almost always about rushing rather than difficulty — record yourself and check that the last note of each phrase lands on the beat.
Related markings
Questions
What is the BPM of Moderato?
Moderato sits between 93 and 100 BPM.
What does Moderato mean?
Moderato means moderately — a middle tempo, neither slow nor fast.
Is Moderato faster than Andante?
Yes. Moderato begins at 93 BPM, well above the Andante range.
Is Moderato a good metronome starting point?
Very. It is fast enough to build endurance and slow enough to keep accuracy, which makes it the usual starting tempo for metronome practice.
All markings
Browse every Italian tempo marking from Larghissimo to Ultra Presto: