"Very fast"
Presto
176–220BPM
Extremely fast. Technically demanding — the pulse is felt more than counted.
192BPM
176220
Range: 176–220 BPMCanonical: 192 BPM
About Presto
Presto is the fastest standard tempo marking, derived from the Italian for 'quickly' (related to 'prestissimo', even faster). At presto tempos, individual beats can no longer be counted easily — the music is felt as a fast flow rather than a sequence of discrete pulses. Performers often feel presto in two-beat or one-beat patterns rather than four. It requires maximum technical facility and is used for virtuosic showpieces, bebop, and metal.
Character
- At the limits of human performance
- Pulse felt rather than counted
- Often grouped in 2 or 1
- Maximum technical difficulty
Famous examples
Beethoven Moonlight Sonata, 3rd mvt
Beethoven
Presto agitato
192 BPM
Chopin Fantasie Impromptu
Chopin
Allegro agitato
184 BPM
Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No.2
Liszt
Friska (Presto)
208 BPM
Mozart Piano Sonata K.331, finale
Mozart
Alla turca (Allegretto)
176 BPM
Distinguishing from adjacent tempos
Presto can shade into vivace at its slower end — the clearest marker is whether you can count individual beats. If the beat feels too fast to count, it's presto.
All tempo markings — slowest to fastest