a tempo

This article covers the musical instruction to play a tempo . For other meanings, see A tempo (disambiguation) .

a tempo ( Italian for "to the tempo (back)") is a playing instruction in the music that says that a previously made tempo change - this can be a ritardando (slowing down), accelerando (getting faster) or rubato - is canceled and return to the previous tempo . The instruction is not to be confused with Tempo I or Tempo primo ; here the first (basic) tempo of the piece or movement is to be resumed.

a battuta is an older name for a tempo.