Andante con moto

As Printed on a Score

A heading printed above the first system of a movement, song or section, and in force until the next tempo word. When the music returns to it after an episode, editors print a tempo, Tempo I, or the phrase in parentheses — tempo (Andante con moto) — to recall it.

How Composers Use It

Con moto keeps an Andante from turning into an Adagio: the walking pulse stays alive and the phrases keep moving. It is among the most common slow-movement headings from Schubert onward, and it suits lyrical music whose accompaniment flows in steady eighth notes. In 6/8, think of the dotted beat as the step. If you want more speed than this, Andantino or Allegretto is clearer than piling on further qualifiers.

Example

Brahms, Zwei Gesänge, Op. 91, No. 2, “Geistliches Wiegenlied”, voice, m. 1: “Andante con moto.” — the cradle song for alto, viola and piano.

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