Andante is a musical term that means to play at a walking pace: not too fast, not too slow, but steady and flowing like someone strolling comfortably down a street. The word comes from Italian, where it literally means “going” or “walking.”

When you see andante written at the top of sheet music, it tells the musician how fast to play the piece. An andante movement feels relaxed and unhurried, like taking your time to notice things around you rather than rushing to get somewhere. Many beautiful symphonies and concertos include andante sections that give listeners a chance to breathe and reflect after faster, more energetic movements.

Musicians use Italian words like andante because Italy was an important center of musical innovation for many years, and these terms became the universal language of music. Other related tempo markings include allegro (fast and lively) and largo (very slow and broad). Think of andante as the medium setting: faster than a slow, mournful song, slower than a march.