Glides
A glide is starting lower in pitch than the note that is written in the music, and gliding up the correct note. (Other names for the glide apparently include scoop and slide.)
The glide is the most common musical embellishment, and probably the most important. Glides are extremely common in singing, but instrumentalists often glide, notably saxophonist and for an electric guitar solo.
Function: Adding Harmony
The main function of a glide is to add harmony. The harmonic identity of the glide is probably determined by where the glide starts. For example, if the note to sing is E but the chord is C major, the glide might start with C. In the song "Abide with Me", if the first note is E (the major third), you might start the glide of the first note on C, then start the glide of the second note on B, to follow the changing harmony.
This means, of course, that a singer must know the harmony of a song to do glides.
Function: Adding Interest & Suspense Resolution
Obviously, adding harmony is more interesting. Additionally, if you extend the glide in time, so that it is taking a long time to get to the intended note, a certain suspense develops -- when are you going to make it to the real note? Are you really going to make it to the real note? Making it to the real note then provides a satisfactory resolution.
Little Tip: When singing a song that has a song with a simple melody that has become a cliche from overuse -- such as Silent Night or Happy Birthday -- prolonged glides will add interest.
Solo Versus Groups
A group of singers can just sing harmony; a single singer cannot. So the need for glides is especially important for a singer singing a capella, and most common for a soloist rather than a group. A group of singers can just have some singing whatever harmony is there.
However, a group of singers can also glide together. For example, I think Peter, Paul, and Mary consistently do glides, and the effect is very nice. And I believe I have heard a choir do glides, though I am not sure.
I have also heard a vocal duo where one was doing glides and the other was not, but the other singer was doing drops. Or maybe their glides were different duration. That does not work. When you sing with someone, you two must agree on your style of glides and drops. (More generally, your styles should be the same.)
Why is the Glide Up Instead of Down?
I don't know. Physically, you can start higher and glide down. But no one does that. (Or it is so uncommon that I have not noticed any examples.) Perhaps the identity of the note is determined by the highest pitch.
NEXT: Second Harmonic
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