General placement conventions for tempo marks

Tempo marks usually apply to all players and therefore to all staves. They always appear above the top staff in the score, but because they are system objects, they can also be shown at multiple positions in the score.

Tempo marks are placed above notations such as slurs, ties, and octave lines, and are often aligned with rehearsal marks to ensure clear readability.

Tempo marks should be aligned with either a time signature, or the notehead or rest at the rhythmic position to which they apply. For example, if there is a notehead with an accidental at the rhythmic position of a tempo mark, it is convention to align the tempo mark with the accidental.

If a repeat mark occurs mid-system and is not treated as a barline, tempo marks are aligned with the repeat mark.

When a tempo mark includes both text and a metronome mark, the text appears first, followed by the metronome mark. When horizontal space is tight, the metronome mark can be positioned below the tempo mark text.