Six chapters.
A practice companion between lessons.
Here is what Arco actually does for orchestra students, written plainly and shown chapter by chapter. Every feature is ready to use today, whether you play in an orchestra, take private lessons, or learn on your own.
I
The triptych
One note, three views.
Every concept appears on the staff, a piano keyboard, and your instrument's fingerboard at the same time. Touch one view and the others follow. Theory stops feeling abstract because you can see the same idea from three angles.
II
Real orchestral sound
Hear every instrument in its own recorded voice.
Arco has separate recorded multisample sets for violin, viola, cello, and double bass. Sustained, pizzicato, and short-bow layers keep timbre and articulation recognizably tied to the instrument you selected.
III
Lessons & curricula
Six hundred thirty-four lessons. One hundred thirty modules.
Five tracks: violin, viola, cello, double bass, and music theory. Each instrument gets its own path, from open strings through shifting, vibrato, bow strokes, and repertoire, written for its clef and fingering system. Theory runs beside them, from the musical alphabet to harmony, ear training, and score reading. Five lessons on your instrument and five in theory stay free forever, with no card required.
IV
Practice rooms & daily plan
Read it, hear it, count it, play it.
A daily plan turns today's minutes into a balanced session: lessons, review, and short drills. Practice rooms cover model practice, sight-reading, aural work, rhythm, technique, and note recognition. Nothing you play is recorded. Answers are taps and selections; Technique Gym reports are self-attested. Evidence comes from timing and quiz answers only.
V
Composition & score library
Write a phrase. Keep the music you are working on.
The composition studio lets you write for any string instrument, or string plus piano, with string-aware fingering hints and real sample playback. Export MusicXML, MIDI, or PDF, or share a listen-only link. Keep PDFs in your personal score library. Paid plans can turn pages into editable notation with AI transcription; everyone can import MusicXML for free.
VI
Calm design & progress
A practice room that feels like one.
Warm manuscript light or a dark concert hall theme. Space enough for a ten-minute warm-up before rehearsal, and deep enough for a weekend of writing. Progress shows what you practised, when, and for how long. Spaced review brings finished material back when it is due. Evidence stays honest: measured drill results, never a claim about pitch, tone, or exam marks.
Five lessons on your instrument and five in theory. Yours to keep. No card.
Start free