Trattenuto

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff, normally written out, where the restraint begins; like ritenuto, the participle describes a held-back state that lasts until a tempo or another tempo word.

How Composers Use It

Trattenuto means “held back, restrained”, and like ritenuto it describes a state rather than a gradual process. It also suggests emotional restraint, which can make it the better word when the slowing is a matter of holding feeling in check rather than of pacing a cadence. Because it is less familiar than ritenuto, consider a metronome mark or clear dynamics to show what you mean, and mark the return to tempo.

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