In music notation, you’ll sometimes see the word “accelerando” or the abbreviation “accel.” marked on sheet music. When you encounter it, the instruction is straightforward: gradually increase the speed of the music.
Accelerando is an Italian musical term that tells performers to speed up—not all at once, but smoothly and progressively. It’s one of the core tempo-modification instructions that composers use to build tension, create excitement, or shift the emotional weight of a passage.
What Accelerando Means
Accelerando literally translates from Italian as “accelerating” or “getting faster.” As a musical direction, it means: play the following passage by gradually and continuously increasing the tempo until you reach a new, faster speed.
The key word is “gradually.” Unlike a tempo marking that changes instantly (where you go from 100 BPM to 140 BPM with no transition), accelerando is a sliding scale. You start at the current tempo and incrementally increase it over the specified duration.
How Accelerando Appears in Sheet Music
In written music, accelerando shows up in a few ways:
The word “accelerando” — Composers write it out in full, typically below the staff at the point where the tempo change should begin.
Abbreviation “accel.” — Shorthand for accelerando, saving space on the page.
A dotted line with an arrow — Often paired with “accelerando” or “accel.,” this visual shows the passage over which the tempo change occurs. The arrow points to the right, visually indicating upward motion.
In combination with other terms — Composers might write “poco accelerando” (get a little faster) for a subtle speed increase, or “molto accelerando” (get much faster) for a more dramatic acceleration.
The marking tells you where to start speeding up and (typically) how long the acceleration should take. Without further instruction, you accelerate until the next tempo marking appears or until the passage ends.
Accelerando vs. Other Tempo Changes
It’s helpful to understand how accelerando differs from related musical terms:
Accelerando (gradually faster) — A smooth, progressive speed increase. Think of it like slowly pressing the gas pedal in a car.
Ritardando (gradually slower) — The opposite of accelerando. Ritardando (abbreviated “rit.”) tells you to gradually slow down.
Tempo marking change (instant) — A jump from one fixed tempo to another (e.g., from “Allegro” at 120 BPM to “Presto” at 180 BPM). This happens immediately, not gradually.
Subito (suddenly) — A sudden change, often paired with other terms. “Subito accelerando” means you begin accelerating quickly, though the acceleration itself is still gradual.
The distinction matters in performance. An accelerando is a continuous, smooth process. A sudden tempo change is a discontinuous jump.
How to Perform Accelerando
If you’re a musician encountering accelerando on the page, here’s how to execute it:
Identify the span — Find where the accelerando marking begins and where it ends (usually marked by the next tempo instruction or a double bar line).
Feel the current tempo — Establish the starting tempo mentally or with a metronome. This is your baseline.
Increase gradually and evenly — As you play, smoothly increase the tempo. Think of it as a constant, predictable acceleration, not a jerky or inconsistent one.
Avoid abruptness — The whole point of accelerando is fluidity. An accelerando that sounds suddenly fast defeats the purpose.
Listen to references — If you’re learning a piece, listen to professional recordings to hear how the accelerando is performed. Some pieces have accelerandos that are very subtle; others are dramatic.
Use a metronome (advanced) — As you improve, you can practice accelerando by setting a metronome and intentionally speeding up steadily over the marked passage. Start at 100 BPM and reach 130 BPM by the end, for example.
Real-World Examples of Accelerando
Accelerando appears in many famous pieces:
Classical and orchestral music — Composers like Beethoven and Bach use accelerando to build dramatic tension. A famous example is the accelerando in the finale of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, where the tempo gradually increases to create urgency.
Film scoring — Accelerando is a powerful tool for underscoring chase scenes, climactic moments, or dramatic builds. As the visual action intensifies, the composer speeds up the tempo to enhance tension.
Rock and pop production — While less common in fixed-tempo recording, producers sometimes use tempo automation in digital audio workstations (DAWs) to create accelerando effects during breakdowns or buildups.
Jazz performance — Jazz musicians often use accelerando intuitively, speeding up during solos or ensemble passages to heighten energy without explicit notation.
Accelerando in Modern Music Production
In digital music production, accelerando is easier to control than ever:
Tempo automation — DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) like Ableton Live, Logic Pro, and Studio One let you draw tempo curves that gradually increase speed. You can set a starting tempo and an ending tempo, and the software handles the gradual transition.
Electronic music — Electronic producers use tempo automation to create buildups and releases. A track might start at 120 BPM, gradually accelerate to 140 BPM during a build, then drop back to 120 BPM for impact.
Sync precision — Unlike live performers, who interpret accelerando subjectively, digital tempo automation ensures every track syncs perfectly. All instruments and effects stay locked together as the tempo increases.
Time-stretching artifacts — One caveat: aggressive tempo changes in DAWs can introduce artifacts (unwanted distortions) in audio tracks. When using accelerando in production, test carefully to ensure the time-stretching algorithm maintains audio quality.
The Emotional Impact of Accelerando
Accelerando isn’t just a technical instruction—it has emotional weight:
Builds tension and excitement — As tempo increases, listeners feel forward momentum and urgency, making it perfect for climactic moments.
Creates sense of movement — Accelerando propels music forward, preventing static or stagnant passages.
Signals change — In a long piece, an accelerando clearly indicates that something new is happening. It demands the listener’s attention.
Mirrors human emotion — When we’re excited, anxious, or energized, our speech and movement naturally speed up. Accelerando mimics this physical response.
A slow, introspective passage that accelerates gradually can transform from calm to urgency without a sudden jolt. This smooth transition makes it emotionally powerful.
Accelerando vs. “Getting Faster”
There’s a subtle difference worth noting:
Accelerando (gradual) — A smooth, continuous increase in tempo over a defined passage.
Getting faster abruptly — A sudden tempo jump (marked with a new tempo instruction or “subito”).
Gradually speeding up without marking — This can happen in informal performance or folk music, but it’s not technically “accelerando” in the classical sense unless the composer notates it.
When you see “accelerando” on the page, you know exactly what to do: smooth, progressive speed increase. This clarity is why the term exists.
Learning Accelerando
If you’re practicing a piece with accelerando:
- Start with the marking clearly marked in your sheet music
- Practice the passage at a steady tempo first — Get comfortable with the notes before worrying about tempo changes
- Introduce the accelerando gradually — Slow accelerandos first, then more dramatic ones as you develop control
- Record yourself — Listen back to verify that your acceleration is smooth and even, not jerky
- Compare with recordings — Listen to professional performances to hear how accelerando is typically handled
Accelerando in Different Genres
Different genres approach accelerando differently:
Classical and orchestral — Accelerando is a fundamental technique. Composers expect precision and musical interpretation.
Jazz — Accelerando is often intuitive and less formally notated. Musicians feel into the accelerando based on ensemble energy.
Electronic and production music — Accelerando is usually programmed precisely via tempo automation to ensure exact timing and sync.
Folk and traditional music — Accelerando might happen informally during excited passages, though it’s rarely formally notated.
The Opposite: Ritardando
If accelerando means “gradually faster,” ritardando (“rit.”) means “gradually slower.” You’ll often see ritardando at the end of pieces, where the tempo slows down to create a sense of finality or rest. Understanding both terms gives you the full picture of tempo modification in music.
Practical Applications Beyond Performance
Understanding accelerando helps in multiple contexts:
Composing — If you’re writing music, knowing accelerando lets you build tension and shape emotional arc intentionally.
Producing — Tempo automation in your DAW becomes a creative tool when you understand accelerando’s emotional impact.
Listening actively — When you hear accelerando in a piece, you can recognize it and understand why the composer made that choice.
Teaching music — If you teach, accelerando is a fundamental concept that helps students understand how tempo can be dynamic, not static.