Music Theory Online

Music can be played in different ways. Sometimes it can be played quickly, slowly, or somewhere in between.


We use words (mostly Italian) to tell us how fast or slow to play a piece of music. These are called “tempo markings” and tell us about the speed of the music. The common tempo markings are:

Lento: Slowly
Adagio: Leisurely
Moderato: Moderately fast
Allegro: Lively
Presto: Quick
Vivace: Very fast


Which tempo marking is suitable for funeral music?
Which tempo marking is suitable for dance music?

Music can also be played in different ways such as in volume. Sometimes it can be played loudly, quietly, or somewhere in between. We call these “dynamic markings” and they tell us about the volume of a piece. The common dynamic markings are:


Pianissimo (written as “pp”): Very soft
Piano (written as “p”): Soft
Mezzo piano (written as “mp”): Half soft (louder than “p”)
Mezzo forte (written as “mf”): Half loud (louder than “mp”)
Forte (written as “f”): Loud
Fortissimo (written as “ff”): Very loud


We can also play music with a light touch, or a heavy touch.
If you want to play a piece of music that is about a little girl dancing, you play with a light touch.
If you want to play a piece of music that is about an elephant dancing, you play with a heavier touch.

If a piece of music is about “raindrops”, you play with a light touch.
If it is about “thunder and lightning”, you play with a heavier touch.


These are all called “performance markings”. Common performance markings are:

Legato: Smoothly
Staccato: Detached (short)
Marcato: Marked