What does this line between staves mean?

• Oct 7, 2024 - 01:04

I'm copying something from a book into Musescore, and came across this up-and-down diagonal lines between the harp's two staves. No clue what it means and can't find any information about it. Anyone got a clue?

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Comments

On https://www.harpspectrum.org/harpworks/composing_for_harp/composing_for…, in the section headed Special notation (about 3/4 down the page), those symbols appear to be glissandi up, then down.

On https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-today/fall-2004/writing-for-harp, example 5 (about 1/2 down the page) appears to that they are a glissando up to an indeterminate note, then back to to a specific note.

Harpist Danielle Kuntz's webpage (https://daniellekuntz.com/how-to-notate-a-harp-glissando/ and https://daniellekuntz.com/notating-a-glissando-on-the-harp/) indicates that this may be a "jump" or an incorrectly marked glissando.

My guess is that it's intended as a glissando up then down, and that Kuntz's opinion is modern while your score is from some time when the markings were less standardized or simply different than today. I would consult with an actual harpist to get a more definitive opinion. (Contact the nearest university that has a decent music program.)

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