Andantino

Andantino is the diminutive of andante, but its tempo implication is famously ambiguous. The Italian -ino suffix can mean ‘a little less’ or ‘a little more’ of the parent quality. So is andantino slightly slower than andante, or slightly faster?

Modern convention has settled (mostly) on the latter: andantino is slightly faster than andante. But historical practice was inconsistent. Beethoven himself was uncertain and sometimes asked publishers to clarify which sense he meant. Some 18th-century composers used andantino as ‘less than walking’ — i.e., slower — while others meant ‘more than walking’.

In practice, the difference between andantino and andante is small, and the choice often depends on the surrounding music. A movement marked Andantino in a fast-tempo neighbourhood probably wants to be brisk; one in a slow context probably wants to be gentle.

Italian, diminutive of andante. The ambiguity of the -ino suffix is the source of the historical confusion.

Read context. If the piece feels lively, treat andantino as slightly faster than andante. If the piece feels lyrical, treat it as slightly more relaxed.