Portamento

Portamento (from the Italian 'portare', meaning 'to carry') is a smooth glide from one pitch to another, most naturally performed by the voice or by string instruments but frequently imitated on the piano. While a true continuous glide is impossible on a fixed-pitch instrument, pianists create the illusion of portamento by overlapping notes with careful finger legato and subtle pedalling, allowing one pitch to melt into the next. The effect is distinct from legato (which connects notes cleanly) and from glissando (which sweeps through every intermediate pitch). When you see 'portamento' in piano music, think of a singer sliding between notes: let each note linger just a fraction into the next, with a gentle decrescendo on the departing note and a soft entry on the arriving one.