Does the R mean "let ring?" Fingerstyle TAB
 

I just printed the music for Chet Atkins "Silent Night," and the plucked chords that begin some of the runs, not all, have a notation like a big parenthesis with a capital R at bottom.

Is this just "let chord ring?"

Usually that's spelled out as "let ring", or abbreviated to "l.v." (lasciare vibrare, let vibrate), so I'm guessing this may mean something else.

Can we see an image?

It's notation for "Play it like you stole it"....

It's short for Arrrrrrrhhhh - aka "Pirate notation"..

;) ;)
I have no idea what this symbol means on TAB... I think I would listen through the actual Chet Atkins recording to see about a hint of what he is doing...

Barre indication maybe?

Would help to actually see what you're talking about.


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Look here and tell us what you think. https://www.scribd.com/document/1006...s-Silent-Night

I believe that might be a non-standard abbreviation for "Roll" as in an arpeggio. That's my best guess.

Normally you'd use a standard arpeggio marking (a squiggly line). Not sure why the notator/engraver made up their own marking when using a standard symbol would be more universal.

That's my best guess. Maybe someone else has another take on it?

Exactly what I was thinking

That must be it. When I listen to the Chet Atkins cut of it, that is what he is doing.

I'll third the opinion. Listening to Chet's version on youtube seems to bear this out. Unfortunately I don't think that transcription is very accurate to what Chet plays.

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There you go. Listening to the track usually answers questions about odd signs in notation! ;)

I'm guessing the software used for that chart didn't have the option of the normal squiggly line.

It's a symbol that means it's time to take a break for rigatoni!

I’ve been working on three note and four note rolls in Mark Hanson’s Art of Solo Fingerpicking course. He defines a roll as being a “quick arpeggio” played over the course of one beat. If the duration of a beat is a 1/4 note, than a 3 note roll is a triplet and a four note roll is constructed of a “quick” arpeggio playing four 1/16th notes in succession. That makes sense in the music notation and makes it easy to count out the roll in the music to get the timing down.

I have not listened to the Silent Night version the OP refers to but I looked at the tab/notation he linked and it is totally different than how Hanson notates a roll in his material (if the “R” is meant to denote a roll). What is also curious to me is that many of the notes where this occurs are dotted and some are notated as half notes. Ring would seem to make more sense when you look at the notation.

I am thinking now that it means LET RING.

Don't know why one would think it unfortunate that the music I linked was not a note for note copy of what Chet Atkins did. I think the piece is beautiful.

Arpeggio roll as others have said. Let it ring symbol does not compute. I am
more intrigued about what is going on with the standard notation staff. Looks
somewhat like unfriendly words. :)

I'm not arguing with you Jon because I know you are right with the terminology. But you know, I've seen a LOT of music come across my music stand, having played in symphony orchestras, musical theater, jazz bands, concert bands for most of my adult life and I've never seen that term on a piece of music. You must be primarily a pianist, I'm guess as I think on another post you cited "ped" to indicate pedal sustain. So somehow I seriously doubt that we'll ever see L.V. on tab music :) . But anyway it's fun to discuss such things. Thanks for throwing that out.