Rallentando

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff as rall., rallent. or the full word, often with a dashed line or spread syllables to show its length, and frequently combined — poco rall., rall. e dim., sempre dimin. e rallentando. It is cancelled by a tempo or a new tempo word. Unlike rit., rall. is never ambiguous: it always means gradually slowing.

Abbreviations: rall., rallent., rall, rallent

Also spelled: ral - len - tan - do

How Composers Use It

Rallentando and ritardando are functionally identical in modern practice. Some theorists argue rallentando implies a broader, more gradual slowing while ritardando is more immediate, but this distinction is not consistently observed. Use whichever you prefer, but be consistent.

Example

Chopin frequently writes rall. before returns of the main theme in his Nocturnes, creating a moment of suspension before the melody reappears.

Related Terms