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Tempo
Tempo refers
to the speed of the music. The particular mood or the particular
desired effect will dictate the tempo. For example, a march
for a sports event will generally have a faster tempo than a funeral
march. Composers can express tempo quantitatively by indicating
how many pulses (beats) would occur per minute. The musical example
"Down in the Valley" found on the page dealing with harmony
indicates that 126 beats should occur per minute. Composers more
often signify tempo in more general terms--terms that will be found
in Lesson 2.
Listen to the following tune played at two
different tempos (along with a few other modifications). Which has
the faster tempo? How do they differ in mood?
  
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