Let ring

As Printed on a Score

Printed over percussion, harp or piano notes (let ring, l.v.), often with short ties that lead from the notes into empty space; it applies to the notes it marks, which are left to decay rather than damped. Damp, or a damping sign, stops the sound.

Abbreviations: l.v.

Also spelled: let vibrate

How Composers Use It

Use it for instruments whose resonance carries meaning: cymbals, gongs, bells, harp, vibraphone and piano. Ringing notes overlap and fade naturally, so plan the harmonic blur this creates and how long each sound will last; a large gong or a tubular bell rings for many seconds. Write a damp instruction, or a rest with a damping sign, where the sound must stop.

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