Moderato Tempo (BPM)
Moderato is an Italian tempo marking meaning at a moderate speed. In metronome terms it is generally taken as about 108–120 BPM — the neutral, natural tempo between andante and allegro.
Note lengths at a typical moderato tempo (114 BPM)
Using 114 BPM as a representative moderato tempo. For any other BPM use the BPM to milliseconds converter.
| Note value | Milliseconds |
|---|---|
| Whole note (1/1) | 2105.26 ms |
| Half note (1/2) | 1052.63 ms |
| Quarter note (1/4, one beat) | 526.32 ms |
| Eighth note (1/8) | 263.16 ms |
| Sixteenth note (1/16) | 131.58 ms |
| Thirty-second note (1/32) | 65.79 ms |
| Bar in 4/4 | 2105.26 ms |
How moderato compares to nearby tempos
| Term | BPM band | Relationship to moderato |
|---|---|---|
| Andante | 76–108 | slower than moderato |
| Moderato | 108–120 | — you are here — |
| Allegretto | 100–120 | overlaps moderato, slightly lighter |
| Allegro | 120–156 | faster than moderato |
Frequently asked questions
- What BPM is moderato?
- Moderato is generally taken as about 108–120 BPM — a moderate, natural speed between andante and allegro.
- Is moderato faster or slower than allegro?
- Slower. Allegro starts around 120 BPM, while moderato tops out near 120 BPM, so allegro is the quicker of the two.
- What is one beat in milliseconds at moderato?
- At a typical 114 BPM, one beat (a quarter note) is 60000 ÷ 114 ≈ 526 ms. At 120 BPM it is 500 ms; at 108 BPM about 556 ms.