Accelerando
Accelerando means gradually getting faster. The spaces between successive beats become shorter over the marked passage.
- accel.
- gradual speed-up
- beat intervals shrink
How gradual is an accelerando?
The abbreviation accel. may appear with a dashed line showing where the change continues. If the passage starts at 80 BPM and ends at a new marking of 120 BPM, spread the increase across the written span rather than jumping to 120 on the second beat.
Does the rhythm change?
The written pattern can remain four quarters per bar while the actual seconds between quarters decrease. A run of sixteenths may sound busier, but that alone is not accelerando if the underlying beat stays fixed. Tap the main pulse to check.
Where does it stop?
A new tempo marking, a tempo, or the end of the indicated line tells you what happens next. If no endpoint is given, shape the change with the phrase and ensemble. The final beat should lead naturally into the next section, not arrive at an arbitrary maximum speed.