SAMPLED

Synthesis and sound design · updated 2026-08-16

PORTAMENTO / GLIDE

A continuous slide in pitch between two notes rather than a jump. Time-based on most synths, and the core of a 303 line.

Close-up of a Eurorack modular synthesizer: oscillator, filter and envelope modules wired together with patch cables, showing the signal path these synthesis terms describe.
Synthesis and sound design — Close-up of a Eurorack modular synthesizer: oscillator, filter and envelope modules wired together with patch cables, showing the signal path these synthesis terms describe.

Photo: Eurorack Modular Synthesizer Closeup (opens in a new tab) by Nir Yaniv (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Key takeaways

  • A continuous slide in pitch between two notes rather than a jump.
  • Time-based on most synths, and the core of a 303 line.
  • Time-based glide takes the same duration for every interval, rate-based glide takes longer for larger intervals, and legato modes only glide when notes overlap.
  • Set glide short and legato-only so basslines slide between overlapping notes but stay tight when notes are separated.
  • Watch out: applying long glide in polyphonic mode.

Quick checklist

  • Can you define portamento / glide in one sentence without looking?
  • Can you point at portamento / glide in a real session, mix or contract?
  • Have you tried the practical move above at least once?
  • Would you catch the common mistake before it costs you a take?
  • Have you opened one of the primary sources below rather than a forum thread?

PORTAMENTO / GLIDE IN DEPTH

Portamento slides pitch continuously from one note to the next instead of jumping. Time-based glide takes the same duration for every interval, rate-based glide takes longer for larger intervals, and legato modes only glide when notes overlap.

How it works in practice

Set glide short and legato-only so basslines slide between overlapping notes but stay tight when notes are separated.

The mistake people make

Applying long glide in polyphonic mode. Multiple voices sliding at once turns a chord change into a smear.

WHERE PORTAMENTO / GLIDE SITS

Portamento / glide belongs to synthesis and sound design in the Sampled music glossary. How synths make sound, in the order the signal actually travels.

TEST YOURSELF

0/3 answered · 0 correct

3 quick questions on portamento / glide. Answers are marked instantly — nothing is sent anywhere.

  1. 1. Which statement best describes portamento / glide?

  2. 2. What is the mistake people most often make with portamento / glide?

  3. 3. In practice, which of these applies to portamento / glide?

Ready for the full thing? Take the 25-question terminology test and get a certificate with your name and score.

SOURCES AND CITATIONS

Free, primary references for portamento / glide — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material. Each one lists the line of this entry it backs up.

  • MIDI Association specifications (opens in a new tab)

    Specification owner · The MIDI Association

    “A continuous slide in pitch between two notes rather than a jump.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: The body that publishes the MIDI specification, so this is the definition hardware and software are built against.

  • Stanford CCRMA (opens in a new tab)

    University research centre · Stanford CCRMA

    “Time-based on most synths, and the core of a 303 line.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: The CCRMA course material derives this from first principles, so you can check the maths behind the plain-English version above.

RELATED TERMS IN SYNTHESIS AND SOUND DESIGN

Back to the full music glossary or read our latest articles.