arco
adv. manner C2 Proficiency US //ˈɑɹkoʊ// ar·co
adv. a direction for musicians to use the bow on a string instrument. You see this in music after a section that was played by plucking the strings with fingers.
adv. indicates that a passage of music is to be played with the bow. Used as a performance instruction to cancel a previous 'pizzicato' directive.
The violinists switched to arco for the main melody.
After four bars of plucking the strings, the conductor signaled the cellos to play arco for a smoother sound.
The composer utilizes a sudden shift from pizzicato to arco to create a dramatic textural contrast between the rhythmic introduction and the lyrical theme.
Usage
Used as a musical direction; typically placed above the staff in a score.