accel.

Arts & Entertainment abbreviation · Music

accel.
Stands forAccelerando
CategoriesArts & Entertainment

accel. stands for Accelerando, a music abbreviation.

Tempo marking telling performers to speed up gradually until a new tempo is reached or the passage ends.

Example: The dance section has an accel. into the final presto.

Usage notes

Italian for "accelerating". It is the opposite of ritardando. Folk dances such as the Greek sirtaki and many Hungarian czardas are built around a steady accelerando.

More music abbreviations

  • A&R – Artists and repertoire
  • ADSR – Attack, decay, sustain, release
  • AMA – American Music Award
  • AOR – Album-oriented rock
  • ASCAP – American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
  • BMG – Bertelsmann Music Group
  • BMI – Broadcast Music, Inc.
  • BPM – Beats per minute
  • BTS – Bangtan Sonyeondan
  • BWV – Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (Bach Works Catalogue)
  • CHR – Contemporary hit radio
  • CMA – Country Music Association

See all 56 music abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.