Excerpt from The Strad, Vol. 9: A Monthly Journal for Professionals and Amateurs of All Stringed Instruments Played With the Bow; May, 1898 October, 1899

Vocalists generally make the most of this glide to sustain a passionate delivery at the close of a vocal piece, and indeed it has a very disturbing effect on the listener. This effect may be described as being occasioned in the following manner in accordance with the musical structure of the composition, the listener expects a certain note to be sounded, thus when the close of a composition is being approached, the listener naturally expects the tonic (key-note). Naturally therefore, anything which delays the tonic whether it be a slight ritard, a sustained trill, or the seeming unwillingness of the player to quit the note preceding the tonic, although having an exciting influence over the listener, makes the appearance of the final note more acceptable and the couse quent rest and satisfaction more complete. I must here caution the reader against gliding to the tonic from the leading-note, if the examples here given (ex. 35) are studied, it will be seen that in each case the terminal note of the phrase thoroughly establishes itself on the ear by being twice sounded, first on an unaccented beat, then on the strongly marked portion of the bar. The ear requires this to give it the necessary assurance of the identity of the tonic. In ascending passages the approach to the tonic from the leading note is by so small an interval (half-tone), that the arrival at the close must always be distinct, the introduction of the glide on so small an interval, would give the appearance of the tonic being played out of tune.

The glide in each case (ex. 35) is made on the two notes connected with a slur.

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