Etwas schneller

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff at the bar where a slightly quicker tempo starts, often at a new stanza or section; it holds until the next tempo word, which a reader must find to know when the push ends. Mid-phrase it may appear in lower case.

How Composers Use It

The German poco più mosso: enough to freshen a section without changing its character. It suits a middle verse that needs urgency or a return that should feel lifted. Because the amount is small and relative, a metronome mark helps an ensemble agree; to make the change gradual, write nach und nach schneller instead.

Example

Schubert, Schwanengesang, D. 957, No. 2, “Kriegers Ahnung”, voice, m. 29: “Etwas schneller”, in a song headed “Nicht zu langsam”.

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