What does Allegro mean in music?

The term Allegro appears very often in music.

I asked many of my students “What does Allegro mean?”

Then, most of them answered “fast ! “

However, why is the term Allegro interpreted as “fast” ?

In Italian, allegro means lively or cheerful.

In English, it can mean merry, joyous or lively.

It s a happy, bright and energetic feeling.

How do you feel when you are happy, cheerful and energetic?

Looking down? Dropping your shoulders and walking slowly?

I don’t think so.

We usually look up and walk happily, with positive energy; we never walk slowly and dragging.

So, while Allegro is considered ‘fast’ in music, it also conveys a spirit of happy, bright, cheerful and positive feeling.

This is its character.

So just because it’s Allegro, there’s no need to play with a metronome  tempo of 120-152.

Allegro for YOU is a tempo that you can play well, and a tempo that allows you to pour energetic, bright, positive energy into the music.

As you become more skilled in violin performance and gain more experience, your ability to play Allegro at a faster tempo will naturally develop and you can play the same music but at a brighter tempo to match your increased technical capabilities.

Thank you for asking a good question. 🙂