Accelerando

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff as accel. or the full word, often with a dashed line, and often paired with a crescendo (cresc. ed accel., poco a poco accel.). It ends at the next tempo word — a tempo, Tempo I, Più mosso or a new heading — which also tells the player the speed the acceleration was aiming at.

Abbreviations: accel., accell., accel

Also spelled: ac - ce - le - ran - do

How Composers Use It

Use accelerando to build excitement or tension. It works particularly well in passages that crescendo simultaneously — the combination of increasing speed and volume is one of music's most effective dramatic devices. Always indicate where the acceleration ends (a tempo, or a new tempo marking).

Example

Bruckner, Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, third movement (Scherzo), flute 1, m. 47: “Allmählich wieder ins schnelle Tempo” with “(poco a poco accelerando)”, renewed as “(sempre accelerando)” at m. 53 — the climb back from the “Bedeutend langsamer” episode.

Related Terms