Poco sostenuto

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff, in full or as poco sost., either as a movement heading or where a slightly broader passage starts; as a heading it lasts until the next tempo word, as a local direction until a tempo.

Abbreviations: poco sost.

Also spelled: Un poco sostenuto

How Composers Use It

As a heading it names a moderate, broad pace with the emphasis on sustained sound; as a local direction it broadens a passage slightly. Since the word describes breadth more than speed, add a metronome mark if the exact tempo matters. It suits slow introductions and lyrical episodes whose weight should come from long, full notes rather than from slowness alone.

Example

Beethoven, Symphony No. 7, first movement, m. 1: “Poco sostenuto”, the heading of the slow introduction, which opens f.

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