What does allegro mean in music?

Allegro is a word used in music. It’s Italian, which means the music should be played quickly and lively. When a piece of music or song says “allegro” at the top, the musician knows to play it at a fast and cheerful tempo.

What exactly does allegro mean?

The word allegro is pronounced “uh-LEG-grow” in English. It comes from the Italian word allegro which means “cheerful” or “lively.” In music, allegro means the music needs to have a very fast and upbeat tempo. It is usually in the range of 120 to 156 beats per minute (bpm).

Allegro is one of the most common tempo markings used by composers when writing music. The composer will write allegro at the beginning of a piece of music, movement or section when they want the musicians to play it in a quick, lively way with a feeling of excitement or joy.

Where did allegro come from?

The tempo marking allegro has been used for a long time in Western classical music. It was being used by composers over 400 years ago in the Baroque period. During the Baroque period from around 1600 to 1750, tempo markings started being used a lot. Allegro was one of the main tempo markings used, along with adagio (slow and stately), andante (walking pace), and presto (very fast).

Italian words and phrases have been used for tempo markings and musical terms since the Baroque period. This is because a lot of important composers during that time were Italian, like Antonio Vivaldi, Arcangelo Corelli and Domenico Scarlatti. Even composers from other countries like George Frideric Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach often used Italian terms and tempo markings. Using Italian became the standard tradition that continues today.

How fast exactly is allegro?

Allegro means the music should be played fast, but there can actually be quite a big range for the tempo. It is generally considered to be between 120-156 bpm. 120 bpm means there are 120 beats (pulses) every minute. It is the same tempo as marching band music.

However, how fast allegro feels can change depending on the time signature and the length of the beats. Allegro in 2/4 time, when there are 2 quarter note beats per measure, will feel much faster than allegro in 3/2 time, where there are 3 half note beats per measure.

The metronome marking will usually show more precisely how fast the music should be. The metronome marking is shown by putting a note value and a number to show how many of those notes there are per minute. For example, ‘allegro 𝅘𝅥 = 132’ means there should be 132 quarter notes per minute.

Here are some general guidelines for how fast allegro might be in different time signatures:

2/4 time: 𝅘𝅥 = 120-156 bpm
3/4 time: 𝅗𝅥 = 80-104 bpm
4/4 time: 𝅘𝅥 = 120-156 bpm

Other allegro tempo markings

There are some other common Italian tempo markings that are used along with allegro to mean slightly different speeds:

Allegretto – slightly slower than allegro, meaning moderately fast. Around 112-120 bpm.
Allegro moderato – moderately allegro, slightly slower than allegro. 116-120 bpm.
Allegro con brio – allegro with brilliance and spirit. Faster than normal allegro.
Allegro con moto – allegro with motion and movement, so slightly quicker than allegro
Allegro assai – very fast, even faster than regular allegro
Allegro vivace – lively and fast allegro, at the faster end of allegro
Allegro ma non troppo – fast allegro but not too much. Slightly slower than allegro.

The meaning can also be changed by adding other words like allegro agitato e appassionato (fast with agitation and passion) or allegro con fuoco (fast with fire). Sometimes allegro is combined with other tempo markings like andante or presto.

It is important to remember though that tempo markings are guides and open to some interpretation rather than precise rules the musicians must follow. Two different musicians may play allegro slightly differently.

What does allegro sound like?

An allegro tempo gives the music an energetic, lively, and exciting feeling. It often feels very joyful and cheerful. The music seems to bounce and dance along. Even if the music is less cheerful, allegro makes it feel determined, adventurous and bold.

When a piece starts allegro, it grabs the listener’s attention right away because it begins so quickly and energetically. This fast pace keeps the listener engaged and pulled in to the exciting feeling.

Allegro can work well for all different instrumentations, from full orchestras to solo instruments. It gives the music a sense of urgency and momentum, always pushing forward at a fast rate.

Examples of allegro in music

Allegro has been used in many famous pieces of classical music and other genres. Here are some well-known examples of music with allegro sections or movements that show the lively, fast, and exciting feeling it creates:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, 1st movement – this serenade starts with a bright, cheerful, and energetic allegro in a full string ensemble.
Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 5, 4th movement – the famous symphony ends with an epic allegro movement with the full orchestra that is very fast, lively, joyful, and triumphant.
Felix Mendelssohn, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture – after a slow introduction, the allegro section begins and most of this piece is allegro, capturing the magical, whimsical feeling.
Antonio Vivaldi, “Summer” from The Four Seasons, 3rd movement – this allegro finale to the violin concerto is very fast and high energy, representing an exciting summer thunderstorm.
Johann Sebastian Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, 1st movement – the concerto opens with a festive allegro full of fast sequences and independent lines in the violins and recorders.
John Philip Sousa, “The Stars and Stripes Forever” March – this famous march is played at an energetic allegro tempo that makes it lively and bold.
Scott Joplin, “Maple Leaf Rag” – the famous piano rag is marked “tempo di marcia,” or march tempo, which usually means around allegro.
Duke Ellington, “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” – the big band jazz song is very fast and lively, around 200 bpm, even faster than a usual allegro.

Allegro is an important tempo marking in music that lets musicians know to play fast and lively. This tempo gives music an energetic, exciting, and joyful feeling that engages the listener. Even though exactly how fast allegro is played can vary, it always means the music will be quick, upbeat and push forward. Allegro has been used for hundreds of years and is still used in all kinds of music today to create a sense of cheerful exuberance and momentum.