ABSTRACT
Certain musical factors also determine the character of the piece, such as its meter, predominant rhythmic motion, and the meaning of the words. The tempo of a piece may even vary slightly depending on one's state of mind or how one feels at the time. When speak of the correct tempo for a piece, it is understood that a given speed will allow for minor adjustment according to the circumstances of individual performance. French musicians of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries used the words temps or mouvement when describing the speed at which a piece ought to be taken. From an examination of tempos of a variety of dance movements and descriptions by theorists, Harris-Warrick concludes that several dances appear to have been performed at tempos that were much quicker than modern performers have assumed. In the case of instrumental music not specifically intended for dancing, the tempo at which a dance is played may also differ somewhat.
