Grave tempo: 25–45 BPM
Grave is an Italian tempo marking meaning “grave, serious”. It is usually played at about 25–45 BPM. Grave is the slowest common marking and is about weight as much as speed: solemn, heavy and deliberate. The metronome on this page starts at 40 BPM, in the middle of the range.
How fast is Grave?
Grave is roughly 25–45 beats per minute. At 25 BPM one beat lasts 2,400 ms; at 45 BPM it lasts 1,333 ms. Reference books and metronome makers print slightly different ranges, so treat these as conventions rather than rules.
| Tempo | Quarter note | Eighth note | One bar of 4/4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 BPM | 2,400 ms | 1,200 ms | 9.60 s |
| 40 BPM | 1,500 ms | 750 ms | 6.00 s |
| 45 BPM | 1,333 ms | 667 ms | 5.33 s |
What does Grave mean?
Grave translates as “grave, serious”. Grave is the slowest common marking and is about weight as much as speed: solemn, heavy and deliberate.
Grave compared with neighbouring markings
Grave is the slowest of the common tempo markings. Largo (40–60 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 Grave
At grave tempos a beat lasts well over a second, so the pulse is easy to lose between notes. Count eighth notes or sixteenth notes and let long notes sound for their full value.