Vivace tempo (156–176 BPM)

• 156–176BPM (approx.)
• 166metronome preset
• 361 msper beat at 166

What does Vivace mean?

Vivace means lively and vivacious, roughly 156–176 BPM — faster than Allegro and slightly slower than Presto. It suggests brightness and energy rather than sheer speed.

Origin: From Latin vivax ("full of life").

How fast is Vivace?

On most modern metronomes Vivace covers roughly 156–176 BPM — that is a beat every 341–385 ms. The BPM refers to the beat of the time signature (a quarter note in 4/4, a dotted quarter in 6/8 when it is felt in two). Try a few tempos within the range: 156 BPM, 166 BPM, 176 BPM.

Famous examples

• Beethoven, Symphony No. 7 — the 1st movement (Poco sostenuto – Vivace)
• Allegro vivace is a common marking for spirited finales

Practice tips for Vivace

• Keep articulation crisp and light; heavy playing sounds slow even at the right tempo.
• Many Vivace movements are in compound time — set the metronome in dotted-quarter beats with triplet subdivisions.
• Use the silent-bar setting to check that energy does not turn into rushing.

All tempo markings

Marking	Meaning	Approx. BPM
Larghissimo	as broadly as possible	20–24
Grave	grave, solemn, heavy	25–45
Largo	broad, wide	40–60
Lento	slow	45–60
Larghetto	rather broadly	60–66
Adagio	at ease, slowly	66–76
Andante	walking pace	76–108
Moderato	moderately	108–120
Allegretto	moderately fast, a little lively	112–120
Allegro	fast, lively, cheerful	120–156
Vivace	lively, vivacious	156–176
Presto	very fast, quickly	168–200
Prestissimo	as fast as possible	200+

Slower: Allegro · Faster: Presto · Read the full tempo markings guide.

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