Tempo and Dynamics

Yet, in interpreting a musical work, performers have the final say in choosing a tempo that best delivers the message of the music. What is loud or fast to one performer may be moderate in volume and tempo to another. Even when precise tempo markings are written into the score by the use of a metronome, an instrument that sounds regular beats at adjustable speeds, the performer can still alter the tempo. Most of the metronome markings are usually written within a specific range such as 80 - 90 for a particular piece.

For the many styles of music, such as non-Western, folk, and popular, that do not rely on composer directions or even printed music, the performer takes full responsibility for interpreting the music.

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