What is an Arco?

Arco is a term used for string instruments that instructs the performer to play with the bow. The word comes from Italian and literally means “with the bow.”

In orchestral and string music, arco is often written after a section marked pizzicato, which indicates plucking the strings. When the music returns to arco, the player stops plucking and resumes the normal bowed playing technique.

Arco produces the sustained, smooth sound typically associated with string instruments such as the violin, viola, cello, and double bass. Composers use arco and pizzicato markings to create contrast in tone, texture, and articulation within a musical passage.