Poco ritardando

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff as poco rit. or poco ritard., usually over the last notes of a phrase; a tempo normally follows within a bar or two. Poco rit. could also stand for poco ritenuto, so readers judge by context: a gradual easing toward a cadence implies ritardando.

Abbreviations: poco rit., poco ritard., poco ritard

How Composers Use It

A slight, gradual slowing — the gentlest ritardando — used to shape the end of a phrase rather than to change the music’s tempo. It often marks what good players would do anyway, so use it where the slowing is structurally important, or where performers might otherwise press on. Write poco ritard. rather than poco rit. if you want to rule out ritenuto.

Example

Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101, first movement, m. 5: “poco ritard.”, with “a tempo” two bars later.

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