Word
accelerando
Phoneticsac·celeran·do
UK/ɐksˌɛləɹˈændəʊ/
Definition
n. a musical instruction that tells a musician to play faster and faster. It is often written as 'accel.' in the sheet music.
n. a musical direction indicating that the tempo should increase gradually. Often abbreviated as 'accel.' in scores and parts.
Examples
“The violinist played the final phrase with an accelerando.”
“The conductor signaled for an accelerando, prompting the entire orchestra to speed up the tempo toward the end of the movement.”
“The composer uses a sudden accelerando to create a sense of urgency, contrasting the previous slow, deliberate passages and leading into the final, triumphant climax.”
Examples
simple
“The violinist played the final phrase with an accelerando.”
contextual
“The conductor signaled for an accelerando, prompting the entire orchestra to speed up the tempo toward the end of the movement.”
complex
“The composer uses a sudden accelerando to create a sense of urgency, contrasting the previous slow, deliberate passages and leading into the final, triumphant climax.”
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian accelerando, from Latin accelero.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/accelerando