Allegro

Allegro asks for a quick, lively tempo. It tells you both to move briskly and to shape the phrase with energy. The marking is normally printed above the staff at the start of a piece or a new section. It guides the performer until another tempo instruction changes it.

The 132 BPM example gives you a point to try, not an official definition. Italian tempo words cover a range, and published charts do not agree on exact boundaries. If a score specifies a note value and metronome number, such as quarter note = 132, that gives a measurable pulse.

At 132 BPM, clap four steady beats. Then play two notes inside each beat without making the four claps any faster.

A suggested BPM range is only a starting point: tempo charts disagree, and different pieces marked Allegro can have different rates. Compare the same four-beat rhythm at Allegretto and Allegro; the latter should have a more urgent pulse. For a direct A/B test, use the same four notes at the example pace and at the pace suggested on the Allegretto page. Listen for the distance between the main beats, not just the number of notes you play.