What Are Some Terms That Mean “slowly” in Music?
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Three terms that mean “slowly” on a music score include “andante,” “adagio” and “largo.” As with many other musical terms, these words come from the Italian language and are part of the universal lingo that appears on all music scores.
The term “andante” means moderately slow, and the other two terms refer to a further slowing in the music. “Adagio” generally means slower than “andante,” but it is not as slow as music set to be played at a “largo” pace, which is a crawl. Slowing down music allows instrumentalists to add expressiveness to their performances, drawing notes out longer to add depth of feeling.