What does accelerando mean?
Accelerando is a musical term borrowed from Italian, where it is the gerund of accelerare, meaning 'to accelerate'. It instructs performers to increase the tempo of a piece gradually, rather than jumping abruptly to a faster speed. Printed scores often abbreviate it as 'accel.', and conductors or ensemble leaders may call it out in rehearsal. As a noun, an accelerando can also refer to the passage of music over which the speeding-up occurs. Its natural counterpart is ritardando (or rallentando), which signals a gradual slowing down. Because it comes from the same Latin root celer ('swift') as English words like accelerate and celerity, its meaning is transparent once that connection is noticed. Though firmly rooted in musical vocabulary, the word occasionally appears figuratively to describe any process that gathers pace, lending writing a slightly technical or elegant flavour.
An instance or passage of gradually increasing tempo in music.
"The movement closes with a thrilling accelerando."
Invariable in English; no plural form is commonly used.
(As a musical direction) To be played with a gradually increasing tempo.
"The final bars are marked accelerando."
Often abbreviated as 'accel.' in printed scores.
Rarely used; the word is usually treated as invariable, but 'accelerandos' appears occasionally when referring to multiple passages.
"The score contains several abrupt accelerandos."
Italian for 'accelerating', this little word has been telling orchestras to speed up since the Baroque era — and unlike most Italian musical terms, musicians never anglicised it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of accelerando
Accelerando entered English from Italian, where it literally means 'accelerating', being the gerund of accelerare. The Italian verb derives from Latin accelerare, formed from ad- ('towards') plus celer ('swift, quick'). It was adopted into standard Western musical terminology alongside other Italian directions such as crescendo and ritardando, likely during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries as Italian musical practice spread across Europe. English cognates from the same Latin root include accelerate, acceleration, and celerity.
How accelerando is actually used
Primarily used in musical contexts; figurative use outside music is rare. In printed scores it is often abbreviated 'accel.' It is invariable in English and takes no plural inflection.
Easily confused with accelerando
A crescendo is a gradual increase in volume (loudness), whereas an accelerando is a gradual increase in tempo (speed).
Ritardando is the opposite of accelerando — it directs a gradual slowing down of the tempo.