Tempo is the speed of a song. It tells musicians how fast they should play. We measure tempo using beats per minute (BPM). For example, 60 BPM means one beat per second, while 120 BPM is twice as fast.
In classical music, Italian words like largo (slow and broad) and allegro (brisk and lively) show where the tempo changes. In jazz and rock, musicians just say “fast” or “relaxed.”
Interestingly, many hit songs fall between 120 and 130 BPM, about the same speed as a human’s heart rate!
Tempo is the speed of a song. It tells musicians how fast they should play. We measure tempo using beats per minute (BPM). For example, 60 BPM means one beat per second, while 120 BPM is twice as fast.