Presto: Meaning, Speed and Practice Tools
Presto (Very fast, immediately) covers 157–168 BPM in the classical tempo tradition.Very fast.
How fast is Presto in BPM?
Presto covers 157 to 168 BPM — "very fast, straight away". The marking appears at the point in a piece where something needs to happen now, and it is routinely used to launch a finale or push an existing fast tempo further. This is firmly virtuosic territory and there is very little margin for imprecision.
Presto in classical music
- •Very fast, urgent and technically demanding
- •Used to launch finales or push an existing fast tempo
- •Demands high levels of finger independence and speed
- •Common in the dramatic passages of Romantic piano music
- •Accuracy and speed have to be built together
Famous pieces in Presto
Étude Op. 10 No. 4
Frédéric Chopin (1832)
A Presto etude built entirely on evenness of sixteenths.
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
Frédéric Chopin (1880)
A frenzied Presto section demanding near-limit dexterity.
Piano Concerto No. 1 (3rd mvt.)
Frédéric Chopin (1830)
A brilliant Presto finale with relentless passagework.
Try the Presto metronome
Try Presto here — set to 162 BPM, limited to 157–168 BPM for this marking.
How to practise at Presto
Presto is built on the assumption that your slow practice is already done. If you arrive here without even articulation at a lower tempo, the fast version will not fix it. Work with the metronome at this tempo on one passage at a time, keeping each bar perfectly even before moving on. Practise hands separately where the passage allows — it exposes exactly which side is falling behind.
Related markings
Questions
How fast is Presto?
Presto sits between 157 and 168 BPM.
What does Presto mean?
Presto means very fast or immediately — it signals both speed and urgency.
How do I practise Presto?
Make sure the passage is clean at a slower tempo first, then work it with the metronome one bar at a time at full speed. Separate the hands where possible.
Is Presto harder than Vivace?
Considerably. At 157 BPM and above, small errors are impossible to hide and the music leaves no room for hesitation.
All markings
Browse every Italian tempo marking from Larghissimo to Ultra Presto: