Andante

Walking

Andante, from Italian “andare”, to walk, is a calm, natural walking tempo. It lies between Adagio and Moderato, in the range of about 76 to 108 beats per minute. The terms are elastic: “Andante” describes an attitude of calm walking rather than an exact value, which is why a bpm figure is often added as well. The tempo itself is the speed of the basic pulse, as the page Tempo describes.

Guitar

• Dänische Weise Nr. 36 Felix Horetzky, from: 60 National Airs of Different Nations · guitar

  The heading reads “Andante. Cantabile.”, so walking and singing. 3/4 with no key signature, beginning with A minor.

• Dänische Weise Nr. 15 Felix Horetzky, from: 60 National Airs of Different Nations · guitar

  Here it says “Andante con espress.”: walking, with expression. 2/4 with one sharp, the first chord is E minor.

• Etüde Nr. 16 Matteo Carcassi, op. 60 No. 16 · guitar

  “Andante” is written above the beginning, 4/4 with one flat. The first chord is F major.

• Etüde Nr. 12 Matteo Carcassi, op. 60 No. 12 · guitar

  “Andante mosso”, so walking and moving, a little quicker than Andante. 4/4 with two sharps.

Andante and its additions

Additions such as “con espress.” (with expression), “cantabile” (singing) and “mosso” (moving) change character or speed. They appear beside the tempo word. “Andante mosso” is somewhat quicker than plain Andante.

Common mistakes

• Playing Andante too slowly: It is a walking tempo, not an Adagio.
• Missing the additions: “Mosso” adds movement, “con espress.” expression.
• Reading Andante as an exact number: The range runs from about 76 to 108 bpm.