Speed as Emotion

Tempo is the speed of music, measured in beats per minute (BPM). A lullaby at 60 BPM calms a baby to sleep. A dance track at 128 BPM gets a club moving. The same melody played at different tempos creates completely different emotional experiences. Tempo is not just speed — it is mood.

Italian terms have described tempo for centuries: Largo (very slow, ~40-60 BPM), Adagio (slow, ~66-76 BPM), Andante (walking pace, ~76-108 BPM), Allegro (fast, ~120-156 BPM), Presto (very fast, ~168-200 BPM).