Poco mosso

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff, usually at a new section, and in force until a tempo, Tempo I or another tempo word. Mid-piece it is relative — a little faster than what came before, much like poco più mosso; as an opening heading (Cornelius sets it over a song’s first bar) it describes the pace on its own.

Also spelled: Un poco mosso

How Composers Use It

Use it for a gentle lift in pace that should feel like a change of light rather than a new movement — Debussy’s Clair de lune is the classic case. It is milder than più mosso and leaves the amount to the performer, so add a metronome mark if the proportion matters. Plan the return (a tempo, Tempo I) so the player knows the lift was temporary.

Example

Debussy, Clair de lune (Suite bergamasque), piano, m. 27: “Un poco mosso” arrives at pp after “dim. molto” in m. 25, in a piece headed “Andante très expressif”.

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