Adagio is an Italian tempo marking meaning “at ease”. It is usually played at about 66–76 BPM. Adagio means at ease. It is slow and expressive, and many lyrical slow movements carry this marking. The metronome on this page starts at 70 BPM, in the middle of the range.
How fast is Adagio?
Adagio is roughly 66–76 beats per minute. At 66 BPM one beat lasts 909 ms; at 76 BPM it lasts 789 ms. Reference books and metronome makers print slightly different ranges, so treat these as conventions rather than rules.
Beat lengths across the Adagio range
Tempo
Quarter note
Eighth note
One bar of 4/4
66 BPM
909 ms
455 ms
3.64 s
70 BPM
857 ms
429 ms
3.43 s
76 BPM
789 ms
395 ms
3.16 s
What does Adagio mean?
Adagio translates as “at ease”. Adagio means at ease. It is slow and expressive, and many lyrical slow movements carry this marking.
Adagio compared with neighbouring markings
Larghetto (60–66 BPM) is the next marking slower. Adagietto (70–80 BPM) is the next marking faster. Ranges overlap at the edges, which is why a tempo such as 120 BPM can be described as either Moderato or Allegro.
Practising at Adagio
Adagio rewards a steady pulse under flexible phrasing. Set the click to quarter notes, then to eighth notes, and check that expressive stretches return to the beat.