What does rallentando mean in music?

rallentando means "gradually becoming slower".

What type of musical term is rallentando?

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

What grade is rallentando tested in?

rallentando 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

rallentando — meaning in music

rallentando is a musical term meaning gradually becoming slower. 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 becoming slower

TempoFirst tested: Grade 2

Translations

French	devenant progressivement plus lent
German	allmählich langsamer
Italian	diventando gradualmente più lento
Spanish	gradualmente volviéndose más lento
Chinese	逐渐变慢

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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