Lento ma non troppo

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the first system as a heading, often with a comma (Lento, ma non troppo), and in force until the next tempo word. The qualifier lasts exactly as long as the Lento it tempers.

How Composers Use It

Slow, but not dragging: a Lento that keeps its line flowing. It suits a long cantabile melody that needs a pace slow enough for expression but quick enough to hold together across the phrase. Use it when a melody depends on continuity and you suspect performers will indulge a slow tempo until the phrase falls apart; a metronome mark makes the limit concrete.

Example

Chopin, Études, Op. 10, No. 3 in E major: “Lento, ma non troppo” heads the étude, with legato and p in the opening bar.

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