ritardando
A gradual slowing of tempo. Abbreviated as rit.
In Depth
Ritardando (abbreviated rit.) is one of the most common performance markings in music, instructing the performer to gradually slow down. The effect is the temporal equivalent of a diminuendo — a gentle deceleration that creates a sense of arrival, conclusion, or breath.
The degree and rate of slowing are left to the performer's judgment, which is both the challenge and the expressive power of a ritardando. Too much slowing sounds heavy-handed; too little is imperceptible. In ensemble music, the conductor or lead player guides the group through the ritardando, ensuring everyone decelerates together. A tempo typically follows, restoring the original speed.
Glenn Gould was famous for taking enormous ritardandos at the ends of Bach pieces — his recording of the Goldberg Variations stretches the final bars to nearly twice the expected duration.