July 2001: Glissandi: Unit 1 - Basics

A glissando is the sliding of a finger across a series of strings A glissando may be executed in an upward direction (from lower notes to higher ones) or downward (high to low). Ordinarily the second finger is used to ascend and the thumb is used to descend. Some people think that this is all there is to glissandi but they are far more complex.

A glissando has RANGE. That range may be approximate or very specific. If there is a note at the beginning of a "gliss" it indicates the point, or vicinity at which to start the slide. A note at the end of a gliss indicates the point or vicinity at which to end the slide. Sometimes the start or end note is very tiny. Most of the time that implies vicinity vs. specificity which would be better defined by a full size note.

A glissando has TIMING. Assuming that a quarter note receives one beat, a gliss that starts with a quarter note must fill only one beat, ending on the next beat. If the first note is a half note the gliss must fill two beats and end on the third.

A glissando has SPEED. The rate at which you move your finger across the strings of a gliss is determined by a combination of its range and timing. A two beat gliss starting on middle C and ending two octaves above, would have to be played half as fast as the same gliss that covers only one beat. But if the one beat gliss only covered one octave (instead of two), it would run at the same rate as the two beat gliss.

See you next month.

Stephanie

Would you like to ask Stephanie a question? Look for the "Ask Stephanie" link below...

Site designed by Duncan Watt for Kanuba. E-mail to: kanuba@comcast.net