Extended Techniques for the Classical Guitar - Robert Lunn Composer

The second type of glissando is the bending glissando. 3 Bending a string is a
common technique found in Blues and Rock and Roll style guitar playing, but does not
appear in the classical guitar literature until the 20 th century. The bending glissandi
allows the performer to move up a half or whole step seamlessly. Bending the string
allows the performer to move from one half-step to the next without the audible step
associated with the fret glissando. Typically the bend will be up in pitch although the
performer could have the bend setup before striking the string, then releasing the string.
This is referred to in Rock guitar as a ghost bend. The interval limit for a pitch glissando
is roughly a major second on the classical guitar because of the loose tension of the
strings.
Fretted Glissandi
Example 1.1 Glissando of a minor third in A Horse, His Name Was Hunry
Fencewaver Walkins by David Bedford., Rehearsal letter E.
David Bedford uses fretted glissandi in his A Horse, His Name Was Hunry
Fencewaver Walkin written for guitar, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, double bass and piano.
In this example, Bedford has the guitarist glissando roughly the span of a minor third, or
three frets on the guitar. In addition, Bedford notates the direction of the glissando by
using up and down lines that tell the guitarist whether the glissando should go up or down
3 Ibid., 143.
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