# Musical terminology **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 11, 2004, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-terminology/254503 "2004-07-11T00:21:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-terminology/254503/1 "2004-07-11T00:21:12Z")
I’m trying to find the name of a particular musical technique that you hear in in a lot of bluegrass fiddle music. It’s when, instead of hitting a note (or chord) precisely, you start a little lower and sort of slide up to the note. It’s indicated in the score by a small diagonal line preceding the note. (I don’t mean the gliding from one note to the next, as a pop singer would do.) Also, is there a different term for starting higher and sliding \*\*down \*\*to the note? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-terminology/254503/2 "2004-07-11T00:24:02Z")
All I’ve ever heard this called (in Irish fiddle music) is a slide. But I’m googling, just to be sure… ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-terminology/254503/3 "2004-07-11T00:29:00Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I’m trying to find the name of a particular musical technique that you hear in in a lot of bluegrass fiddle music. It’s when, instead of hitting a note (or chord) precisely, you start a little lower and sort of slide up to the note. It’s indicated in the score by a small diagonal line preceding the note. (I don’t mean the gliding from one note to the next, as a pop singer would do.) > > Also, is there a different term for starting higher and sliding \*\*down \*\*to the note? Just to clarify, I assume that we’re not talking about either a _glissando_ or _portamento_, which are full note-to-note slides (unless of course we’re talking about an appoggiatura glissing to the main note). Which is a longwinded way of saying I don’t know what the right answer is either, but I do know some of the wrong ones. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-terminology/254503/4 "2004-07-11T00:31:37Z")
You’re after either: Appoggiatura: An accented appoggiatura is a grace note which takes the accent and part of the time-value of the following principal note. The appoggiatura slides down to the principal note. Acciaccatura A short accented appoggiatura sliding up to the principal note. Or you could go with the simple grace note. If that’s not it I’m stuck. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-terminology/254503/5 "2004-07-11T00:38:10Z")
Just to agree with **Gyrate** , and disagree with **Caught@work** , if it’s not ‘beginning’ from another note, it isn’t a glissando, portamento, appogiatura, acciacaatura, or grace note. All of these require a beginning and an end - as far as I can see, what is described is an end, with an indefinite start.