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adagietto

adagietto

9.9
In a fairly slow, gentle way, slightly faster than adagio and slower than andante
  • adverb
  • /ˌædəˈdʒɛtoʊ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : adagietto
  • The composer marked the second movement adagietto for a slightly quicker pace than adagio.

Examples

  • The piece should be played adagietto to capture its gentle mood.

  • Musicians adjusted their tempo to follow the adagietto instruction in the score.

  • Play it adagietto.

  • Can you play this section adagietto?

  • The composer marked the second movement adagietto for a slightly quicker pace than adagio.

  • Musicians adjusted their tempo to follow the adagietto instruction in the score.

  • The piece should be played adagietto to capture its gentle mood.

Synonyms

adagio
vsadagietto
  • Specialized
7.9

Slowly when you play music

is slightly faster between slow and moderate tempo

How Fast

allegro
  • Specialized
3 8.0
andante
  • Specialized
1 8.2
adagietto
  • Specialized
9.9
adagio
  • Specialized
8.2
largo
  • Specialized
8.4

Surface Forms

adagietto positive

Morphology

adagietto = adagio (semi-transparent) = adagio + etto

Formally a diminutive of 'adagio' (-etto); the sense 'slightly faster than adagio' is somewhat predictable to musicians but the diminutive is Italian and not fully productive for general learners.

Etymology

Adagietto comes from Italian as a small form of adagio, with the ending -etto meaning 'little', like the English '-ette' in 'kitchenette'. So it means 'a little slow', which is why to play something adagietto you go a bit faster than adagio but keep a gentle pace.