Avec l’archet

As Printed on a Score

Printed above a string part after pizzicato to restore bowing, where arco would otherwise stand; it lasts until the next pizz. Most French scores simply print arco, so the French phrase is the rarer form.

Also spelled: avec l'archet

How Composers Use It

Avec l’archet is the French equivalent of arco and does the same job: it cancels pizzicato. The Italian is shorter and universally understood, which is why French composers mostly use it even in French parts. The French phrase is clearest where the bow is being contrasted with something else — the fingers, or the wood of the bow — and in every case leave time to bring the bow back to the string.

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