The Arcontinuo is an electronic musical instrument designed from a perspective based in the study of their potential users and their interaction with existing musical interfaces. Arcontinuo aims to change the way electronic music is performed, as it is capable of incorporating natural and ergonomic human gestures, allowing the musician to engage with the instrument and as a result, enhance the connection with the audience. Arcontinuo challenges the notion of what a musical gesture is and goes against traditional ways of performing music, by proposing a concept that we call smart playing mapping, as a way of achieving a better and more meaningful performance.