Definition of glissando Glissando

glis•san•do

We found 6 definitions of glissando from 5 different sources.

What does glissando mean?

WordNet

Noun Plural: glissandoes
glissando - a rapid series of ascending or descending notes on the musical scale
		melodic line, melodic phrase, melody, tune, air, strain, line the perception of pleasant arrangements of musical notes
Adverb
glissando - (musical direction) in the manner of a glissando (with a rapidly executed series of notes); "this should be played glissando, please"

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Wiktionary

glissando (Noun)
A musical term that refers to either a continuous sliding one pitch to another or "true" glissando, or an incidental scale played while moving from one melodic note to another or "effective" glissando.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

glissando (n. & a.)
A gliding effect; gliding.

Wikipedia

In music a glissando is a slide up or down the notes of a scale. The plural is “glissandi”. In written music the instruction to the player is often shortened to “gliss”. The word comes from the French “glisser” = “to slide”.

With the singing voice, or with an instrument such as the trombone or a string instrument a glissando is a smooth slide in which the pitch gradually changes, becoming higher and higher. The trombonist can make a glissando by blowing whilst pushing out or pulling in the slide. The violinist can make a glissando by sliding a finger up or down the fingerboard.

With instruments such as the piano, xylophone or harp a glissando is a quick slide in which we hear one note after another because the pitches between the notes cannot be played. On the piano there are two ways to play a glissando: either on the white notes or on the black notes. At the end of the piano piece called "Ondine" from "Gaspard de la Nuit" by Maurice Ravel both these types of glissando can be heard. The pianist has to play a glissando with tips of the fingers or the finger nails. It can be quite painful to practise them a lot. Harpists are very fond of playing glissandi. By changing the position of the harp pedals a harpist can change the scale which will sound when the glissando is played.

Many modern timpani have pedals which tighten or slacken the drum head. These can be used to make a glissando. The Hungarian composer Béla Bartók often used this effect.

Some jazz clarinettists manage to