Hi all! I post in the Pianists' Corner and Piano Forum most of the time. I compose a good bit for piano & guitar as well as play both.

I was wondering about notating a simultaneous black & white key glissando[/b] , a la Godowsky. I do not currently have a score available that uses such a device. I want to use one in a my latest piano work.

However, I have no clue about how to notate this. Any advice or links to IMSLP or another such site where I might find a PDF of a piece that uses such a glissando would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Gershwin does something very similar in Rhapsody in Blue.

The RH plays a glissando from low C to high C, but it is written out, with C#s for the LH.

I would write it out and just do what he did: label it "glissando". That would be clearest, I think.

I don't think the Gershwin example you provided is exactly what Horowitzian is asking - the Gershwin is a white-key glissando with C#s only thrown in with the LH.

For a simultaneous black and white key glissando, the first question is whether or not it's all in one hand or in two hands. If it's in one, I've notated that in the past by notating the two starting notes (e.g. C and Db), then a line connecting them to the last two notes, and writing a comment in such as ("glissando on black and white keys", or if Italian notation is your style "glissando sul tasti bianchi e neri"). If its in two hands, then notate each hand with the proper glissando, and on each one, put a comment saying its on white or black.

Thanks, 8tude!

Clever screen name, BTW.

I'll be using two hands on this one I think. Could you maybe provide a link to a PDF score on IMSLP, etc that has an example of what you are talking about on it? I want to make sure I am absolutely clear on what you said.

Thanks again!

I don't know if I can find it online anymore, but I believe I saw this type of notation in Cziffra's arrangement of the Sabre Dance - you can see if you can track that down.

Here's another example from Debussy - see the last page of Feux d'artifice:

http://imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/d/dd/IMSLP00510-Debussy_-_Preludes__Book_2.pdf

He doesn't explicitly say "on white" or "on black", but he notates the first 4 or 5 notes of each glissando to indicate that the right hand is glissing on black and the left hand on white. That's another equally valid way to do it.

Thanks, 8tude

However, I cannot find any names like Feux d'Artifice in the score. Could you direct me to the appropriate page? I think I see the place on pg. 6, but I am not sure...

Thanks again!

I would write it out in the most clear way you could so that whoever reads it can understand your meaning. I do not think there is a right or wrong way with this. Perhaps you could write out all of the notes as 32nd notes or whatever duration seems appropriate (black keys in one hand, white in another) and if you're using something like Finale, you can use one layer for one hand and another for the other hand if the notes lie in the same staff. Then simply say "glissando" over it. I think that would be plenty clear.

Beethoven did something similar in his Waldstein 3rd mvt with the octave glissando, which he wrote out. Since he didn't say "glissando" however, some people will play out the scale.

Sorry - assumed you knew these works... It's on the very last page.

And I agree with Moriodene - there are many ways to do this. I have also seen where all of the notes are notated (if I recall, Ravel does this in Jeax d'eau and I'm pretty sure Debussy does it in the second movement of Suite Bergamasque)

Thank you, 8tude!

No, I have not yet studied any Debussy, so I am really not familiar with his works. Thanks for pointing out the page!

[edit] Now I see where the name is!

Interestingly enough, I came upon this exact issue in something I was practicing this morning.

It's from the Saxophone sonata by Jindrich Feld. He writes out the first four notes of each glissando, then follows it with the gliss lines.

I uploaded a picture here:

http://www.box.net/shared/jinkme8ybt

Ah, manic sax music . I had to do a very quick learn of the Feld flute sonata once...

Thanks to everyone for their input.