col arco
techniqueskol AR-koh
With the bow; an instruction to resume bowing after pizzicato.
Col arco means with the bow and is an instruction for string players to return to normal bowing after a passage using a different technique, most commonly pizzicato. Since bowing is the default way of playing string instruments, col arco only appears when a change back is needed.
The instruction can also appear after col legno passages. Players need a moment to reposition the bow correctly when switching between techniques, so composers typically place the marking slightly ahead of where the bowing should begin.