Portamento

Portamento, abbreviated port., is a vocal and instrumental technique where the performer slides smoothly between two pitches, allowing the intermediate pitches to sound briefly as a continuous sweep. The Italian portamento literally means ‘carrying’ — the voice or instrument carries the sound from one note to the next.

In vocal music, portamento is a fundamental expressive device, especially in operatic and 19th-century song repertoire. The voice glides from one note to the next, sometimes briefly enough to be almost imperceptible, sometimes audible enough to be a clear effect. On bowed strings, the same effect is produced by sliding the finger along the string between positions.

The technique should be used judiciously. Excessive portamento sounds mannered and old-fashioned; insufficient portamento sounds clipped and unmusical. The ideal balance varies by genre, era, and personal taste.

Italian, ‘carrying’, from portare (‘to carry’).

Use portamento sparingly. A subtle slide between two melodic notes can be deeply expressive; an obvious slide on every interval is mannered. Listen to great vocal recordings — Caruso, Schwarzkopf — for models.