Okuzeka
Music vocabulary · Rhythm, Meter and Tempo

Rubato

Meaning in music, with examples

nounCommon term

In music, rubato means: Expressive flexibility in musical timing, in which a performer slightly stretches or shortens parts of a phrase while keeping its overall flow.

In Turkish: rubato, esnek zamanlama

How it is used

Used in performance discussion, especially for lyrical passages. The amount of freedom depends on style and agreement with accompanying players.

Example sentences

  1. Use a little rubato at the top of the phrase, then let the line move again.

    The performer briefly stretches an expressive point without stopping the musical line.

  2. The accompanist followed the singer's rubato instead of holding every beat rigidly.

    The timing remains coordinated because the accompanist responds to the singer's phrasing.

Common collocations

  • expressive rubato
  • use rubato
  • subtle rubato
  • tempoThe speed of a piece of music, usually measured in beats per minute (BPM) or shown with Italian words such as allegro (fast) or adagio (slow).
  • accompanimentThe music that supports a main melody or soloist, for example the piano part under a singer or the chords a guitarist plays behind a violin.
  • melodyA sequence of single notes that forms a recognisable musical line, often the part that people remember and sing along to.

More terms: Rhythm, Meter and Tempo

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