Andante is an Italian tempo marking meaning “walking, going”. It is usually played at about 76–108 BPM. Andante means at a walking pace. It is moderately slow and flowing, and the range players accept for it is wide. The metronome on this page starts at 92 BPM, in the middle of the range.
How fast is Andante?
Andante is roughly 76–108 beats per minute. At 76 BPM one beat lasts 789 ms; at 108 BPM it lasts 556 ms. Reference books and metronome makers print slightly different ranges, so treat these as conventions rather than rules.
Beat lengths across the Andante range
Tempo
Quarter note
Eighth note
One bar of 4/4
76 BPM
789 ms
395 ms
3.16 s
92 BPM
652 ms
326 ms
2.61 s
108 BPM
556 ms
278 ms
2.22 s
What does Andante mean?
Andante translates as “walking, going”. Andante means at a walking pace. It is moderately slow and flowing, and the range players accept for it is wide.
Andante compared with neighbouring markings
Adagietto (70–80 BPM) is the next marking slower. Andantino (80–108 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 Andante
Because the Andante range is so wide, choose a tempo that lets the music flow and keeps a sense of steps rather than drifting. Many players settle somewhere in the 80s or 90s.