Calmo

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff at the head of a piece or passage, alone or with a tempo word (Andante calmo). It sets a character until another expressive or tempo word replaces it.

How Composers Use It

Calm as a settled state, where calmato is calm reached after disturbance. It describes mood more than speed, so pair it with a tempo word or metronome mark. Use it when stillness is the music’s nature — a slow introduction, a pastoral episode — and do not use it as a synonym for slow, since a calm passage can move at a fair pace.

Related Terms