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The bow of a string instrument; also the "arco" return after pizzicato.
In English string parts, with the bow (or simply bow) cancels pizzicato in the same way as arco; in percussion parts, bowed or with bow asks for an instrument such as a cymbal or vibraphone to be played with a bass bow. It holds until pizz. or a new instruction.
Arco is the standard return from pizzicato, but an English instruction is clear in parts for less experienced players. Allow time to pick up the bow after a long pizzicato. Bowed percussion gives sustained, eerie tones; name the instrument, allow time to fetch the bow, and keep the dynamic modest, since the sound is quiet and slow to start.
Bow is one of 1755 terms in the Gradus musical dictionary: the words, abbreviations and instrument names that appear in printed scores, plus the vocabulary composers use to talk about them.
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