A tempo vs Rubato (rhythm)

Side-by-side comparison of two musical terms.

	A tempo	Rubato (rhythm)
Definition	Return to the original tempo after a deviation.	A flexible approach to tempo in which some beats are slightly lengthened and others shortened for expressive effect.
Category	tempo	rhythm
Pronunciation	ah TEHM-poh	/rʊˈbɑːtəʊ/
Origin	Italian	Italian (rubare, to steal)
BPM	—	—
Synonyms	in time resume tempo	tempo rubato stolen time free tempo
Antonyms	Rubato Ad libitum	strict time a tempo
Usage	After the expressive rallentando, the marking a tempo snaps the ensemble back to the original pulse.	The pianist applied a subtle rubato to the melody, letting the long notes breathe before moving on.

Definition: Return to the original tempo after a deviation.
Category: tempo
Pronunciation: ah TEHM-poh
Origin: Italian
Synonyms: in time resume tempo
Antonyms: Rubato Ad libitum
Usage: After the expressive rallentando, the marking a tempo snaps the ensemble back to the original pulse.

Definition: A flexible approach to tempo in which some beats are slightly lengthened and others shortened for expressive effect.
Category: rhythm
Pronunciation: /rʊˈbɑːtəʊ/
Origin: Italian (rubare, to steal)
Synonyms: tempo rubato stolen time free tempo
Antonyms: strict time a tempo
Usage: The pianist applied a subtle rubato to the melody, letting the long notes breathe before moving on.