Glissando
To slide from one pitch to another
Glissando refers to a rapid ascending or descending scale. It is played differently by different instruments.
For piano or harp, a glissando does not produce the sound of each semitone, as the fingers only move over the white keys on the piano or the available scales on the harp.
For string instruments (such as the violin or erhu), each semitone is produced as the finger moves up or down the position of the string or by pressing each note individually.
For brass instruments, excluding trombone, the fingers must press each note individually. The trombone, however, does not have a key mechanism, and performing a glissando involves controlling the length of the slide.
The common abbreviation for Glissando is "Gliss."
Example of Glissando
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