Glissando
Sliding from one note to another — whether the notes in between count depends on the instrument
Related
Glissando is a slide from one note to another, usually written gliss. with a diagonal line. The key difference is whether the notes in between count: on piano or harp the slide sweeps quickly through keys or strings, so you hear "a series of notes"; on trombone, strings or voice the pitch changes continuously, so you hear "a line".
It is often confused with portamento: portamento stresses an expressive, goal-directed slide into a note, glissando the sliding process itself. The same mark is a scale on a keyboard and a band on a string — the writer must know which one the instrument will produce.
Read deeper → Articulation Marks
Sources
- glissando 与 portamento 的区别及不同乐器上的实现，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Glissando" 与 "Portamento"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.