Word
arco
Phoneticsar·co
/ˈɑɹkoʊ/
Definition
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.
Examples
“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.”
Examples
simple
“The violinists switched to arco for the main melody.”
contextual
“After four bars of plucking the strings, the conductor signaled the cellos to play arco for a smoother sound.”
complex
“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.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/arco