What does accelerando mean in music?

accelerando means "gradually getting faster".

What type of musical term is accelerando?

accelerando is a tempo term — see the Theory Practice glossary for the rest of the tempo word list.

What grade is accelerando tested in?

accelerando first appears at Grade 2 in ABRSM, AMEB and Trinity music theory exams, and stays in the syllabus for every grade above that.

Music theory · Musical terms · Tempo

accelerando — meaning in music

accelerando is a musical term meaning gradually getting faster. It is a tempo marking, first tested at Grade 2 in ABRSM, AMEB and Trinity music theory exams. From that grade on, every written paper expects you to know it on sight.

Definition

gradually getting faster

TempoFirst tested: Grade 2

Translations

French	s'accélère progressivement
German	allmählich immer schneller
Italian	diventando gradualmente più veloce
Spanish	gradualmente cada vez más rápido
Chinese	逐渐变快

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All tempo terms

a tempo accelerando adagio allegretto allegro andante andantino doppio movimento incalzando l’istesso tempo larghetto largo lento moderato prestissimo presto rallentando ritardando ritenuto stringendo tempo primo vivace