Adagio Tempo (BPM)
Adagio is an Italian tempo marking meaning slow and stately. In modern metronome terms it is generally taken as about 66–76 BPM — slower than andante, faster than largo.
Note lengths at a typical adagio tempo (70 BPM)
Using 70 BPM as a representative adagio tempo. For any other BPM use the BPM to milliseconds converter.
| Note value | Milliseconds |
|---|---|
| Whole note (1/1) | 3428.57 ms |
| Half note (1/2) | 1714.29 ms |
| Quarter note (1/4, one beat) | 857.14 ms |
| Eighth note (1/8) | 428.57 ms |
| Sixteenth note (1/16) | 214.29 ms |
| Thirty-second note (1/32) | 107.14 ms |
| Bar in 4/4 | 3428.57 ms |
How adagio compares to nearby tempos
| Term | BPM band | Relationship to adagio |
|---|---|---|
| Largo | 40–60 | slower than adagio |
| Adagio | 66–76 | — you are here — |
| Andante | 76–108 | faster than adagio |
| Moderato | 108–120 | much faster than adagio |
Frequently asked questions
- What BPM is adagio?
- Adagio is generally taken as about 66–76 BPM — slow and stately, slower than andante and faster than largo.
- Is adagio faster or slower than andante?
- Slower. Andante is roughly 76–108 BPM, while adagio is about 66–76 BPM, so adagio is the calmer of the two.
- What is one beat in milliseconds at adagio?
- At a typical 70 BPM, one beat (a quarter note) is 60000 ÷ 70 ≈ 857 ms. At 76 BPM it is about 789 ms; at 66 BPM about 909 ms.