Rhythm
Tempo
- Definition
- Tempo is the speed of a song's underlying beat, typically measured in beats per minute (BPM).
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Songwriting stage
- writing
In practice
Tempo is one of the simplest and most immediate ways a song communicates energy: a fast tempo often feels urgent, excited, or aggressive, while a slow tempo feels reflective, tender, or heavy. The same melody and chords can feel completely different moods depending on the tempo they're performed at.
Songwriters often choose a tempo early in the writing process because it affects how lyrics are phrased and how much rhythmic detail a melody can comfortably hold. A ballad's slow tempo leaves room for sustained notes and emotional weight, while an upbeat tempo demands tighter, punchier phrasing to keep pace with the beat.
Example
A songwriter first sketches a lyric at a brisk 140 BPM for an energetic feel, then slows the same chords and melody down to 70 BPM to test it as a stripped-down ballad, discovering the slower tempo suits the lyric's quiet mood better.