Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Tempo Interpretation (Read 2689 times) previous topic - next topic

Tempo Interpretation

Hi all

In a piece I'm arranging, I have several tempo markings in English (I'm used to the standard Italian markings)

here's all the markings written above the music (until the next section):

Start: Vigorously (Crotchet = 100)
Bar 4: Start slowly and accelerate
Bar 13: as before
Bar 19: accel.
Bar 22: wildly
Bar 29: rit.
Bar 34: rit.
Bar 37: Recitative - freely and slower

Here's the questions:

1: Bar 4 (Start slowly and accelerate) - does this mean to slowdown from the current tempo first?
2: Bar 22 (wildly) - is this referring to tempo in any way? (so far I've interpreted this as the way to play)
3: Bar 29-34 (rit.) there is a rit. followed by a rit. does this mean to speed up again then get slower or to keep getting slower from the slower tempo?

Thanks in advance,

Globbilink

Re: Tempo Interpretation

Reply #1 –
Without seeing the music, one can at best guess. Here are my guesses:

1) Yes. Slowly cannot be as fast as vigorously.
2) I would not slow down. I might speed up if I could not achieve the proper degree of "wildness" in other ways.
3) Slower, then slower still. I might change my mind if this was a repeat of the same theme or figure.

HTH
Registered user since 1996

Re: Tempo Interpretation

Reply #2 –
Thanks Rick,

If you wanted to check your guesses, I've written out the melody of that section with all the english markings as text:

Code: [Select · Download]
!NoteWorthyComposerClip(2.0,Single)
|Clef|Type:Treble
|TimeSig|Signature:2/4
|Tempo|Tempo:100|Text:"Vigorously"|Pos:12|Visibility:TopStaff
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:3|Opts:Slur=Upward
|Dynamic|Style:f|Pos:-8
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:6|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:6|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:8th,Dotted,Accent|Pos:3|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:3|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:5|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:5|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:8th,Dotted,Accent|Pos:2|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:2|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th,Accent|Pos:4|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:1|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:1|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:8th,Accent|Pos:3|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th,Triplet=First,Accent|Pos:2|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th,Triplet|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:8th,Triplet=End|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:8th,Accent|Pos:1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|TempoVariance|Style:Fermata|Pause:4|Pos:6|Placement:AtNextNote
|Note|Dur:8th,Accent|Pos:b-4|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Dynamic|Style:mf|Pos:-8
|Bar
|Text|Text:"Start slowly and accelerate"|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:10
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:-8
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-4|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-4|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:8th,Dotted,Accent|Pos:-4|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-7|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:16th,Slur|Pos:-5|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-6|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-7|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-6|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-8
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:-8
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:8th,Dotted,Accent|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-4|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:16th,Slur|Pos:-2|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-3|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-4|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-3|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-5
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:-5
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-1
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:-5
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:#-2|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-2|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-3
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace|Pos:-5
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-4|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-4|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:16th,Slur|Pos:-5|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-6|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-7|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-6|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-8
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:-7
|Note|Dur:4th,Accent|Pos:-8
|Bar
|Text|Text:"as before"|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:9
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:-8
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-4|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-4|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:8th,Dotted,Accent|Pos:-4|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-7|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:16th,Slur|Pos:-5|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-6|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-7|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-6|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-8
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:-8
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:8th,Dotted,Accent|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-4|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:16th,Slur|Pos:-2|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-3|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-4|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-3|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-5
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:-5
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-1
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:-1
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:2|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:2|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:1
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:0
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:4|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:3|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:2|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:#5|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:4|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:3|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:16th,Slur|Pos:7|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:6|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:#5|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:6|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:5|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:n4|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:3|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:4|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:16th,Slur|Pos:#5|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:4|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:3|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:4|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:3|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:2|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:1|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:-1|Opts:Slur=Upward
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:8|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:8|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:8th,Dotted|Pos:6|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:7|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:16th,Slur|Pos:9|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:8|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:7|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:8|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:6
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:6|Opts:Stem=Down,Slur=Upward
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:10|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:10|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:10|Opts:Stem=Up
|Note|Dur:8th,Dotted|Pos:6|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:7|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:9|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:8|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:7|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:8|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:6
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:4|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:2|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:1|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:3|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:1|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:16th,Slur|Pos:2|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-3|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-3|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-4|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-5|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-7|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-6|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-7|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-8|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:#-9|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-8|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-7|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-6|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|TempoVariance|Style:Ritenuto|Pos:9
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-5|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:-4|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:#-3|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:#-2|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:8th,Dotted,Accent|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Bar
|Note|Dur:16th,Slur|Pos:2|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:1|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:1|Opts:Stem=Down,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-1^
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:-1
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:#-5
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-1
|Bar
|TempoVariance|Style:Ritenuto|Pos:9
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:-5
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-1
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:-8
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|Note|Dur:8th,Grace,Slur|Pos:-1|Opts:Slur=Upward
|TempoVariance|Style:Fermata|Pause:0|Pos:11|Justify:Center|Placement:AtNextNote
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:6^|Opts:Stem=Down
|Bar
|Note|Dur:Half|Pos:6
|Bar
|TimeSig|Signature:3/4
|Text|Text:"Recitative - freely and slower"|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:12
|Note|Dur:32nd,Slur|Pos:-8|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=First
|Note|Dur:32nd,Slur|Pos:-6|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:32nd,Slur|Pos:-4|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:32nd,Slur|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th,Slur|Pos:1|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:2|Opts:Stem=Up,Beam=End
|TempoVariance|Style:Fermata|Pause:0|Pos:6|Justify:Center|Placement:AtNextNote
|Note|Dur:4th,Dotted|Pos:3
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:2
|Bar
!NoteWorthyComposerClip-End

I would tend to agree with you, however
 

Re: Tempo Interpretation

Reply #3 –
Globbilink, I think I agree with Rick's answers to your questions 2 and 3.  The composer used the expressions in an unusual manner, so you are left to interpret them as best as you can.

I often complain that the composer should write so the musician can understand the composer's intentions.  Sometimes they don't, doing you, the musician, a disservice.

Quote
Bar 4 (Start slowly and accelerate) - does this mean to slowdown from the current tempo first?
Since this is immediately after a fermata, I think it simply means what it says.  You've ground to a stop, so now just start slowly and speed up to tempo primo at measure 13. "As before" is ambiguous.  

It would be nice if the composer indicated a tempo each time, such as bar 4 crotchet=48, accelerating to crotchet=100 by bar 13. 

You should assume the composer didn't deliberately include a redundant command, so I agree with Rick's interpretation re the two rit. commands.