portamento

techniquespor-tah-MEN-tohfrom Italian

A smooth, continuous glide from one pitch to another.

In Depth

Portamento is a smooth, continuous glide from one pitch to another, different from glissando in that it does not articulate the individual notes in between. On string instruments and the voice, a true portamento slides seamlessly through all frequencies between the two pitches. Portamento was a prized expressive device in Romantic-era singing and string playing. Early 20th-century recordings reveal how extensively performers used it. Modern taste generally favours a cleaner, more restrained approach, though portamento remains an important expressive tool in the right context. In electronic music, portamento (often called glide) is a standard synthesizer parameter.
Did you know?

Early recordings of violinists like Fritz Kreisler reveal constant portamento between notes — a style of playing that was considered beautiful then but would be criticised as sloppy today.

Related Terms

glissando

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