Glissando/Portamento Starting Note

[Abbas Alshafai]

Hello everyone,

I have a very basic question. I searched the web and I couldn't find enough information.

Please refer to these attachments:


When reading the score, when do the players start playing the glissando/portamento effect? Right from the beginning of the note that has glissando/portamento sign? Or is it at the end of that note when moving to the other note?

My guess is that it starts right on the note that has the glissando/portamento sign. If this is the case, is what I'm doing in the attachment the correct way of annotating it? The first picture is the slow effect, where the third one has faster portamento.

another small question: do I need to have a slur between the two notes that have glissando/portamento? Can I have it as in the fourth image?

Thank you all in advance. I will really appreciate it if examples from famous composers and scores were included in the answer.

Sincerely,

[jochanaan]

When I play glissandi or portamento, I often start about halfway through the "first" note, the one I start from. That gives the note time to have an effect.

You don't usually need to include a written slur, since we players slur it anyway.

[Abbas Alshafai]

Thanks a lot for your reply!! 

So what I understand from your post is that these two effects are left up to the conductor and the players, did I understand you correctly?

[jochanaan]

Thanks a lot for your reply!! 

So what I understand from your post is that these two effects are left up to the conductor and the players, did I understand you correctly?

Pretty much, unless the composer has a very clear idea how s/he wants them played. And even then some performers change things. The third section of Respighi's Pines of Rome ends with a one-octave portamento for two solo violins, very clearly marked in the score--but on Toscanini's recording, the violinists play it completely "straight," with no slide at all!