noun
glissando
glih-SAN-doh/ɡlɪˈsændəʊ/
A slide from one musical pitch to another.
The trombonist plays a glissando from a low note upward.
Etymology
French glisser, “to slide,” supplies the image of motion carried into music: the sound slides smoothly from one pitch to another.
In context
gives you a micro tonal glissando and then if you do a reverse lookup table then you have a glissando across the range of the piano
More examples
- She slides her finger along the violin string to produce a glissando.
- The harpist ends the piece with a sweeping glissando.
- The singer practices glissandos to move smoothly between pitches.
Forms
glissando · glissandos · glissandi
Similar words
- portamento
- Usually a smooth, expressive connection between two specific notes.
- slide
- A less technical term that also describes nonmusical movement.