Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange
Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [tempo]

The rate of the beats in a passage of music, sometimes expressed in metronome beats per minute (BPM) and sometimes by the Italian system of names

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List of average genre tempo (BPM) levels?

I've been told before that a genre such as drum and bass averages a BPM of 160-180, whereas dubstep is around 140 BPM and hip-hop is around 115 BPM. Does anyone know where I can get a list of popular genres with their average BPM?
Curtis
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Do musicians count the meter all the time?

When I started as a beginner on the piano I just timed the notes by feeling. That is, until my teacher played back a recording of me to show me just how messed up my timings were. Since then I've always been very diligent about figuring out the…
W4uoe9A
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Why are measures (aka "bars") important?

Just as an example, let's say we have 60 BPM. So every second there's a beat. Imagine nodding your head every second to this rhythm. Now isn't that enough information to make a song? If I have a metronome at 60BPM then I can rap over it, or play a…
user34288
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Is there any way for my to become a better judge of my playing? Especially while I'm playing

When I'm playing my flute I sound fine, but when I listen to a recording I sound terrible. Is there any way for me to become a better judge of my playing? Especially while I'm playing, I want to be able to know if the sounds I'm making are good.
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Is it true that cut time means "play twice as fast as written"?

I was just reading an e-book and saw this sentence which really confused me: "Played twice as fast as written" - This isn't what cut time actually means right, or are there situations where cut time means exactly that? I thought cut time is…
Andy
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Why would a teacher ban the metronome altogether?

So when I was a kid I had this piano teacher who was completely against even owning a metronome. He was adamant that using a metronome to practice was a bad habit and insisted that pupils always count "internally". In retrospect, several years…
Some Dude On The Interwebs
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What is the connection between time-signature, beat, and tempo?

What is the connection between time-signature, beat, and tempo? Mainly time-signature and tempo. Tempo is beats-per-minute I know, but does the time-signature affect it? For example, in a 120bpm tempo, are note durations of 4/4 time-signature…
user488792
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What is the term for a song without a tempo?

I have a song that is just acoustic guitar/vocals/and cello and I don't want to give it a tempo because I enjoy the way it sounds just played at the tempo of whatever emotion I have or venue I'm playing at, etc... I was just wondering if there was a…
MattCamp
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How useful is a metronome for playing the piano?

I've been learning to play the piano for over a year and a half now, and have never used a metronome to date. My rythm and tempo are usually decent, at least after playing the piece properly a few times. The pieces are however getting somewhat…
Noldorin
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Speed of playing notes in different octaves

Is it common for pieces to have lower notes played slower? Do instruments with lower registers typically play slower? I ask because notes in lower octaves are closer together in frequency. For example, A0 to A#0 is about 1.6 Hz different while A1 to…
thaimin
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What tempo is Agitato?

I'm looking at Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C# minor and notice that the tempo changes from Lento to Agitato. I'm familiar with the former tempo marking, but not the latter. At what tempo should Agitato be played? I suspect there is more meaning than…
gilly3
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What is "Tempo 1"?

I've seen adagio, and other names, but I see in classical score that indicates "Tempo 1" in section C. What does it mean?
seseorang
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Why is a consistent rhythm and tempo such a vitally important component of modern music?

When performing music solo on guitar (and singing) for an audience, I have noticed that the audience is very tolerant when I miss a chord or mess up a lick. Often they don't even notice. But if I get my timing off on the rhythm and miss a beat,…
Rockin Cowboy
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How do I interpret two notes in a tempo marking?

Is this the same tempo as (quarter note) = 90, or is it (half note) = 90? I know what tempo this is because of the marking next to the bar number, but what does the part below the number mean? Is this saying to stay at the same tempo? What does…
nloveladyallen
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Is it possible to have "Perfect Tempo"

Perfect pitch is an acknowledged musical skill - the ability to hear a note and name it. Is there a corresponding skill that applies to tempo, to be able to hear music playing and say precisely what the bpm is? For people claiming this skill, what…
Brian THOMAS
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