kaikkitahtiin

Kaikkitahtiin is a Finnish musical directive whose literal meaning is "to all tempi" or "at all speeds." It is used to indicate that a section of music should be played with flexible tempo rather than at a single fixed tempo. The marking invites performers to adjust tempo freely in response to musical expression, allowing rubato, accelerations, and retardations as appropriate to style and phrasing. It is not a precise metronome indication but a broad instruction that timing may drift within the character of the piece.

Origins and usage: The term occurs mainly in Finnish-language scores and pedagogy materials. It is relatively uncommon in international scores and is not part of standard Italian or English tempo nomenclature. When it appears, it may be placed at the beginning of a passage or at movement boundaries to signal that tempo should follow expressive considerations, possibly under the guidance of a conductor or ensemble.

Relation to other markings: Kaikkitahtiin shares the spirit of rubato and free tempo markings but remains distinct from explicit tempo values, such as allegro or lento. It contrasts with instructions like a tempo, which reassert a specific tempo after free sections.

See also: Rubato, Free tempo, Tempo marking, Finnish music notation.