Mi è venuto un lampo di fantasia e ho trovato questa possibile soluzione:

codice:
<html>
	<head>
		<title></title>
		<style type="text/css">
			.sfumatura{
				display: block;
				position: relative;
				top: -50px;
				height: 45px;
				background: -moz-linear-gradient(top, rgba(0,0,0,0) 0%, rgba(76,75,83,0.65) 100%);
				background: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0%,rgba(0,0,0,0)), color-stop(100%,rgba(76,75,83,0.65)));
				background: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, rgba(0,0,0,0) 0%,rgba(76,75,83,0.65) 100%);
				background: -o-linear-gradient(top, rgba(0,0,0,0) 0%,rgba(76,75,83,0.65) 100%);
				background: -ms-linear-gradient(top, rgba(0,0,0,0) 0%,rgba(76,75,83,0.65) 100%);
				background: linear-gradient(top, rgba(0,0,0,0) 0%,rgba(76,75,83,0.65) 100%);
				filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.gradient( startColorstr='#00000000', endColorstr='#a64c4b53',GradientType=0 );
				z-index: 9999;
			}
			.titolo{
				color: #faf9ff;
				background: #4c4b53;
				font-family: Verdana;
				font-style: italic;
				font-weight: bold;
				font-size: 60px;
				text-transform: uppercase;
				letter-spacing: -4px;
				z-index: 999 !important;
				text-shadow: -1px 0 #000, 0 2px #000, 2px 0 #000, 0 -1px #000;
			}
		</style>
	</head>
	<body>
		<h1 class="titolo">Courses</h1><span class="sfumatura"></span>
	</body>
</html>
Adesso guardo la soluzione con text shadow

Grazie