Okuzeka
Music vocabulary · Performance and Practice

Portamento

Meaning in music, with examples

nounCommon term

In music, portamento means: An expressive, continuous slide from one intended pitch to another, especially in singing and string playing.

In Turkish: portamento, sesler arasında kaydırma

How it is used

Used when discussing how two notes are joined. A portamento makes the journey between pitches audible instead of hiding it.

Example sentences

  1. The singer used a gentle portamento to reach the high note at the end of the phrase.

    The listener hears an expressive slide into the target note.

  2. Avoid portamento in this violin exercise so we can hear each shift cleanly.

    The teacher wants a clean change of position without an audible slide between notes.

Common collocations

  • vocal portamento
  • expressive portamento
  • portamento between notes
  • pitch bendA change in note pitch that smoothly moves upward or downward, often controlled by a wheel, lever, or software automation.
  • vocalsThe singing parts of a piece of music, especially in pop, rock and jazz. The main singer sings the lead vocals, and others sing the backing vocals.
  • stringsThe section of instruments played with a bow, mainly violins, violas, cellos and double basses. It also means the actual strings on an instrument such as a guitar.

More terms: Performance and Practice

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: