Lentement

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff either as a tempo heading at the start (Lentement) or as a manner word attached to a single gesture (arpégez lentement, arpeggiate slowly). As a heading it lasts until the next tempo word; as a manner word it applies only to the gesture it names.

How Composers Use It

The adverb form of lent, equivalent to lentamente: as a heading it describes how to move rather than naming a fixed tempo, and it sits naturally at the head of a song. Its second use is more precise: attached to one action — a rolled chord, a release, an arpeggio — it shapes that gesture without slowing the beat. When it qualifies a single action, print it right at the gesture so it is not read as a tempo change.

Example

Chausson, Sept Mélodies, Op. 2, “Nanny”, voice, m. 1: “Lentement” heads the song, which later mixes in Italian directions such as “Poco animato” and “Tempo I”.

Related Terms