A tempo marking is the word or metronome number at the top of a piece saying how fast to play it. Andante, Allegro, or something like ♩ = 96.
The Italian words describe a character as much as a speed: Andante is "walking", Allegro is "cheerful" as much as "fast". A metronome number removes the ambiguity, which is why modern editions usually give both.
How to spot it
Above the staff at the very start, in italics or with a note symbol and a number.
Find it in thirty seconds
Set a metronome to the marked tempo and listen before you play. If it is faster than you can play accurately, halve it, the marking is the destination, not the starting point.
Open any piece of sheet music on this site and do it now. Reading is a recognition skill, and recognition is built by finding things, not by reading about them.
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