Andantino

The diminutive is ambiguous

Andante, according to the page Tempo, is “walking, at an easy pace”, the page Tools gives 76 to 108 beats per minute. Andantino is the diminutive of the word. That makes it difficult: if you take Andante as a slow tempo, you read the diminutive as “less slow”, so faster. If you understand Andante as a walking, medium tempo, you read it as “less walking”, so slower. Both interpretations are found in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today Andantino is mostly understood as somewhat faster than Andante, often combined with a lighter, more graceful character.

In practice that means: the context decides. The Tempo page reminds us that such words are elastic and leave room to the performer. If a metronome number is given beside the word, it takes precedence.

Andantino in the score

In the archive 20 PDF files carry the marking above the staff. Five of them show it in very different ways: guitar pieces by Mertz, Giuliani and Sor, plus piano pieces by Burgmüller and Czerny. It is striking how different the time signatures are: 4/4, 3/4, 3/8 and 6/8. Andantino therefore fixes only the tempo and the character, not the time signature.

Guitar

• Gitarrenschule, Stück Nr. 14 Johann Kaspar Mertz · from: Guitar-Skole · guitar · 1 page

  “Andantino” in bold above the first system, time signature C, three sharps in the key signature. The chord symbols name A, E7 and F♯m7.

• Stück Nr. 1 („Le Papillon“) Mauro Giuliani, op. 50 No. 1 · guitar · 1 page

  “Andantino” is written above the first system, the time signature is 3/4, and chord symbols such as C, G, Am and G7 appear above the bars.

• Etüde Nr. 2 Fernando Sor, op. 35 No. 2 · guitar · 1 page

  “Andantino” is written above the first system, the time signature is 3/8.

Piano

• La Pastorale Friedrich Burgmüller, op. 100 No. 3 · piano · 1 page

  “Andantino” at the top left above the system, 6/8. The melody begins with p and the direction “dolce cantabile”.

• Achttaktige Übung Nr. 6 Carl Czerny, op. 821 No. 6 · piano · 1 page

  “Andantino” in bold above the system, 3/4, the key signature has one flat. The piece begins with F.

Practising at a calm walking tempo

With the calm tempi the danger lies in unevenness. The Tools page describes a technique that fits: set the click to half the working tempo and play two notes per click. The subdivision uncovers uneven sixteenth notes and rushed triplets that a single click on the one hides.

Common mistakes

• Equating Andantino and Andante: The word says “little Andante”. Check whether a metronome number is given.
• Confusing Andantino with Allegretto: With Andantino the basic attitude stays that of walking, not of liveliness.
• Deriving the time signature from the tempo word: Andantino occurs in 4/4, 3/4, 3/8 and 6/8.