help! I'm struggling to get a smooth glissando from bottom g up to the c# above it on my treble recorder - Fantasien and Scherzi has a variety of fiddly technique-y things in it but this is the real bug-bear. If I try pulling fingers away gradually, I get a chromatic bit at the bottom end of the gliss, because the bottom covered hole for g is a double one- first it sounds like a g, then rather suddenly a g#... either that or the volume of the bottom note droops audibly before the pitch rises. I've tried straightening fingers gradually, or even easing away upper fingers rather than the lowest ones, but get unpleasant squarks and squeaks. I've also tried pushing fingers further over the recorder instead of drawing them back, but no go.
I can do the flutter-tonguing, the awkward ornaments (sort of - at least I feel as if they will happen one day), the high notes...just not this!
Has anyone got any ideas?

what is a glissando?

Hi, Walking Dictionary is back!

Gissando
A rapid ascending or descending of the scale. If a glissando is performed on a piano or harp, not every semitone is played, because the finger is drawn across only the white keys in the case of the piano, or the scale available in the case of the harp. If, however, a glissando is performed on a stringed instrument such as a violin, each semitone would be sounded as the finger is either slid up or down the length of a string, or fingering each note separately. A glissando is also possible on wind instruments, however, each note must be fingered separately with the notable exception of the trombone.

Walking Dictionary

Yes, but this needs to be a smooth slide, without any obvious semitones. If I had a swannee whistle (sorry, not sure how to spell that, and too lazy to look it up) it would be easy, but the finger holes rightly produce individual notes, and I need to be able to make a gradual change in pitch with no separate notes, as if sliding a finger along a vibrating string. Otherwise I'd just be playing a slurred chromatic scale.

Gliss on recorders is quite hard. The only suggestion I can make is sliding your fingers off the holes VERY slowly to start with, adn then gradually get it to the speed needed. I am not familiar with the piece you are talking about, but that is how I have managed gliss. It is not perfect, but as perfect as you can get it!

Thank you , Ruthypegs - I'll give it another go. There's another gliss in the piece which is much easier, but this one is a beastly thing. It is also one of those pieces where one starts to feel sorry for the neighbours when a practice session is in full swing, and so I don't give it the time it probably needs....

This glissando can be played with either sliding the fingers one after the other, or sliding from G to G#, then sliding the L.H. third finger to go to C#. I have tried both methods. Sliding just the L.H. ring finger is easier but is hazadous (can crack easily). I used the first method for my exam. If you slide your R.H. ring finger quick enough it should sound smooth, even though there is a double hole there. Hope this help! It is a good piece in my opinion (it sounds more difficult than it really is, which is good )

Thanks, Wai Kit - yes, the left-hand slide cracks very easily...am still trying the right, but am not up to speed yet. *sigh* One day I'll make the piece sound right.

Alternatively, roll all the RH fingers off to get up to a C, then slide the LH 4th off while putting the C# RH fingers back on (sounds complicateld, but it seems to work for me) - depends how fast the gliss is, though. I don't know the piece, sorry.