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Topic: Piano Glissando and Another Piano Quirk (Read 3548 times) previous topic - next topic

Piano Glissando and Another Piano Quirk

I've been using Noteworthy for about a month now and really love it. In fact, I got our Music Director at church to also purchase it so we could work and exchange music together for coordinating worship services.

I have two questions.  The first is regarding a piano glissando, or at least what I've heard it called, where a pianist starts at or near the top of the keyboard (the extreme left hand side) and runs her finger down the keys to about mid-keyboard, usually on the white keys.

The posting I found for glissando referenced trombones and pitch bending.  Is there an easier way?

Lastly, and I don't know the musical term for it but I see it in a lot of the piano music I play, regards when a pianist plays a chord one note at a time, starting from the lowest note in the left hand and ending with the highest note in the right hand.  This is usually represented by a wavy line vertically represented to the left of the chord.  You usually see these at the end of songs on the last chord.  Is there a way to do this with Noteworthy Composer?  Also, what's the musical term for this?

Thanks very much!

Jon Moss
moss@metpro.com

Re: Piano Glissando and Another Piano Quirk

Reply #1 –
Hi Jon and welcome to NWC.  I'm not a musician and so am not real sure about the first part of your question other than a quick succession of small (perhaps 32nd) notes (also known I believe as a 'run'), but what you are referring to in the second part is what I've always heard referred to as a 'broken chord'.  There's an actual name for it which I can't remember at the moment.

In NWC it can be accomplished by tied grace notes starting with the lowest member of the chord and working up to the next to highest member.

Hope this helps.
Have fun - The Hankster

Re: Piano Glissando and Another Piano Quirk

Reply #2 –
Hello Jon

You can refer some past threads.
One of them is subject #2199.

Re: Piano Glissando and Another Piano Quirk

Reply #3 –
A piano glissando and a trombone glissando are two different things, and yes, the piano glissando is easier to reproduce.  Just start on the note indicated as the highest note, enter a C major scale (descending) with short note durations, as many octaves as necessary.  Depending on your soundcard, you may need to slur the whole thing and/or mark each note tenuto (that's the _) to make it sound more realistic.
...the top of the keyboard [the extreme left hand side]
The top (highest-pitched note) of the keyboard is, from the pianist's viewpoint anyway, the extreme right hand side.
Also, the musical term for "broken chord" is "arpeggio," and is executed as described above.

Re: Piano Glissando and Another Piano Quirk

Reply #4 –
Whoops!  I don't know my right from my left!  :)

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.  I'll give them a try.

Thanks - Jon
 

Re: Piano Glissando and Another Piano Quirk

Reply #5 –
I was glad to see the question about the Glissando (piano). I've always wanted to know how to do that but never knew how. Are the notes being played individually in succession or as chords? I guess my confusion is what is the left hand doing while the right hand is doing what it's doing and vice versa? How do you get it to sound as beautiful as it's supposed to?