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It is pretty embarrassing - I have been playing the piano for more than a decade but still can't play glissando on the piano. (I still believe it hurts my fingers). How should I start practicing it? Thank you!

Play them not with your fingers, but with your fingernails.

It takes a bit of getting used to, but that's how you do it.

It's easier on the black keys-- they aren't as sharp.

Thank you! I have tried it this morning - I can now play it now white keys but not black ones. I am actually quite surprised when you say it is easier on black keys. I have no idea how to do it because the black keys are too separated! The skins of my thumb (the bit just below my nail) starts to peel off *sigh*

Would it be helpful if I try it on digital piano first? (so I can get used to the movement while putting less risk on my nails?).

To be honest, I've never tried this myself but I see people using the side of the fingers opposite of the nail. Looks like 2-3-4 to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-FdX1D5hVg#t=1m30s

Looks terrifying to me

It is the bit I am stuck on at the moment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_36x1_LKgg#t=2m24s]

Yours looks equally as terrifying. Don't you hate it when the pros make it seem so easy...

I've never played a piece with extensive glissandos, but thus far I've done it as the amateurish Asian boy did in Akira's link, using the pads of my fingers. Perhaps because I have hitchhiker's thumbs, it's very easy for me to nick my thumb knuckle against the key edge when I'm trying to gliss using my thumb.

Other than this Ravel piece, what works in classical piano literature call for a glissando on the black keys only ??

In my experience, it's easier because the black keys don't have edges that are as sharp as the white keys do. I use the pads of my fingers, or the sides of my fingers, or the palm of my hand right below the thumb (where there's more flesh).

Also, don't overpractice it to the point where it starts to make your skin peel off. Just go for it when it comes next in the piece.

Ondine, also by Ravel has both white and black key glissandi.

Tausig and Godowsky both wrote pieces with chromatic glissandi, but they differed in the physical technique involved.

Thanks !!

Near the beginning of this piece there are alternating glissandos on the white and black keys. I think he used his cigar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-K6kwU9k2c&playnext=1&list=PLAA8A97835D8ED61A

I put on my special glissando gloves.

There's also the Prokofiev 2nd piano concerto. It has a cool part where there are alternating black and white key glissandi. "Le Paon", a song by Ravel also calls for black key gliss that is meant to imitate the peacock fanning out its tail.

I agree with the OP, it hurts to do these, and I usually end up losing skin on my thumb.

Debussy sort of did too, near the end of Feux d'Artifice. Simultaneous black and white glissandi. Surprisingly not hard to do.

I'll check it out. Thanks !!