What does ritardando mean?
You've reached the end of a phrase and the music says rit. — what now? It's one of the most common expressive markings, and once you understand it, you'll play those satisfying "slowing-down" moments with control instead of guesswork.
Ritardando (say "ree-tar-DAHN-doh") means gradually slow down. It's an instruction to ease back the tempo little by little over a passage — not to drop suddenly to a slower speed. You'll often see it abbreviated rit. and frequently at the ends of phrases or pieces, where a gentle slowdown adds a feeling of arrival.
Learn it by playing
Tempo changes only sound good when your steady beat is solid first. Our free arcade keeps your timing sharp in quick rounds — keep this guide open and jump in whenever.
What it tells you to do
When you see ritardando, you start at the current tempo and gradually slow down across the marked notes. The key word is gradual: the beat should stretch a little more with each step, so the change feels smooth rather than like hitting the brakes.
A ritardando is often drawn with a dotted line extending from the word, showing exactly how far the slowdown continues. When it ends, you'll usually find an a tempo marking telling you to snap back to the original speed.
Ritardando vs. its cousins
Several Italian terms describe slowing down, and they're easy to mix up:
- Ritardando (rit.) — gradually slow down. The everyday workhorse.
- Rallentando (rall.) — also gradually slow down. Used almost interchangeably with ritardando; some players treat it as a slightly broader, more relaxed easing.
- Ritenuto (riten.) — held back, often a more immediate reduction in speed rather than a gradual one. (Tricky, because rit. can stand for either — context decides.)
- Allargando — broadening: slowing down and often growing in volume for a grand effect.
For a beginner, the practical takeaway is simple: rit. and rall. both mean "gradually slow down," and you can treat them the same way.
The opposite: speeding up
The mirror image of ritardando is accelerando (accel.) — gradually speed up. You'll often see ritardando and accelerando used together in a piece to shape its energy: pulling back to relax, pushing forward to build excitement.
How to play a smooth ritardando
- Keep subdividing. Hold your inner pulse — count the small parts of each beat — so the slowdown stays even instead of lurching.
- Stretch gradually. Make each beat just a touch longer than the one before. Think of a car easing off the gas, not slamming the brakes.
- Plan your landing. Decide how slow you'll be by the end of the passage so you don't run out of "room" too early or too late.
- Watch for "a tempo." When it appears, return cleanly to the original speed — don't drift slow afterward.
If you're playing with others, a ritardando usually follows a leader (a conductor, a section principal, or whoever has the melody). Watch and listen so everyone slows together.
Why steady timing comes first
Here's the secret pros know: you can only bend a beat expressively if you have a rock-solid beat to bend. A ritardando played over shaky timing just sounds like mistakes. So the best preparation for expressive tempo changes is, ironically, drilling steady rhythm until your internal pulse is automatic. Then slowing down becomes a deliberate choice rather than an accident.
Rhythm Match
A controlled ritardando rides on solid timing. Drill note values and rhythm symbols in quick rounds so your inner beat is dependable before you start bending it.
Frequently asked questions
What does ritardando mean?
Ritardando means to gradually slow down the tempo. It's often abbreviated rit. and tells you to ease back the speed bit by bit over the marked passage, rather than dropping to a slower tempo all at once.
What is the difference between ritardando and rallentando?
Both mean to gradually slow down and are used almost interchangeably. Some musicians treat rallentando as a slightly broader, more gradual easing, while ritardando can feel a touch more deliberate, but in practice they're very close.
How do you play a ritardando smoothly?
Keep a steady internal subdivision and stretch each beat a little more than the last, so the slowdown is even rather than sudden. Watch for an a tempo marking, which tells you when to return to the original speed.
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