Portamento is:

Portamento is:

• A. An arpeggio
• B. A heavy vibrato
• C. A mild glissando between two notes for expressive effect
• D. An abrupt jump

Answer: (C)

Portamento is a smooth glide from one pitch to another, used to connect notes expressively. It’s not an arpeggio, which breaks a chord into separate notes; it’s not a heavy vibrato, which is rapid pitch fluctuation on a single note; and it’s not an abrupt jump, which would be a sudden leap without a connecting slide. In performance, singers and instrumentalists use portamento to move between pitches with a continuous, seamless transition, often between nearby notes to shape a line with expressiveness.

Portamento is a smooth glide from one pitch to another, used to connect notes expressively. It’s not an arpeggio, which breaks a chord into separate notes; it’s not a heavy vibrato, which is rapid pitch fluctuation on a single note; and it’s not an abrupt jump, which would be a sudden leap without a connecting slide. In performance, singers and instrumentalists use portamento to move between pitches with a continuous, seamless transition, often between nearby notes to shape a line with expressiveness.