Poco a poco accelerando

As Printed on a Score

Usually printed as poco a poco accel. above the staff, often followed by dashes across the bars it covers; it continues until a new tempo word or a tempo arrives. It is often combined with a dynamic (poco a poco accel. e cresc.).

Abbreviations: poco a poco accel.

How Composers Use It

It stresses the gradualness of the acceleration: almost imperceptible from bar to bar, unmistakable over the passage. It needs space — several bars at least — and a clear destination tempo. German composers sometimes print a vernacular gloss beside it that names the goal, such as a return to the fast tempo; whatever language you use, state where the acceleration ends.

Example

Bruckner, Symphony No. 5, third movement (Scherzo), m. 291: “poco a poco accel. et cresc.”, printed beside the German “Allmählich wieder ins schnelle Tempo”.

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