Na…

Nach (German) after

Nachahmung (German) imitation

Nach belieben (German) ad lib

Nachdruck(German) emphasis

Nachdrücklich (German) emphatic

Nachgehend (German) following

Nachlassend (German) slackening speed

Nachschlag the two notes that sometimes terminate a trill

Nachtanz (German) the second of two contrasting dances, normally a quick dance following a slower one

Nachtmusik serenade

Nachstück (German) nocturne

Nach und nach (German) bit by bit, little by little, gradually

Nach wie vor (German) as before , as previously

Nadales the name given to Christmas songs in Catalonia and Galicia Spain

Nagkula a simple Indian bamboo-stick zither

Nahe (German) near

Naïf (French) artless

Naïve (French) artless

Naïvement (French) artlessly

Nämlich  (German) namely, the same

Nana Spanish lullaby

Napoléon Coste (1806-1883) see Classical Guitarists and Composers

Narrante (Italian) in a declamatory manner

National anthems songs, usually anthems, fanfares, marches, or hymns, that are used as national symbols

Nationalism music identified with a particular nation, that inspired by folk music

Nationalist music identified with a particular nation, that inspired by folk music

Natural a note neither sharpened nor flattened, the sign placed before a note that is neither sharpened or flattened. see natural sign in Note Symbols

Naturale (Italian) in a or normal manner, without using the mute

Natural keys keys whose signature contains neither sharps nor flats, C major and A minor

Natural minor Scale see Musical Scales

Natural Sign see natural sign in Note Symbols

Natürlich (German) in a or normal manner, without using the mute

Navidás (Spanish) Christmas songs

Nd…

Ndongo eight-stringed lyre of Uganda

Ne…

Neapolitan chord any chord built upon the flat second degree of the tonic key

Neapolitan sixth the first inversion of a major chord on the flattened second degree of a major scale

Neben (German) at the side of, near, subsidiary

Nebst (German) including, together with

Neck Wood of the guitar extending from the body including the fingerboard, frets, fingerboard nut, & Headstock. see Dressing the Frets on a Classical Guitar see Anatomy of a Classical Guitar

Neck Angle The degree of tilt of the neck where it meets the body of a guitar.

Neck Block The Neck Block is often made of mahogany and along with the neck,
supports the book-matched back, top, & sides of a guitar. see Anatomy of a Classical Guitar

Neck Joint A joint that connects the neck to the body of a guitar. One method of attaching the neck to a Classical Guitar body is the use of a Dovetail Joint. It holds well and can be detached during future guitar repairs. see Anatomy of a Classical Guitar

Neck Setting Jig A devise used to hold the neck in proper position when gluing to the body of the guitar.

Neck Tension Jig A devise used to hold neck in proper tension position when dressing the frets on a guitar. See Dressing the Frets on a Classical Guitar

Negli (Italian) in the, at the

Negligénte (French) negligently, unconstrained, careless

Negligente (Italian) negligently, unconstrained, careless

Negligentemente (Italian) negligently

Nehmen (German) to take

Nei (Italian) in the, at the

Neighbouring notes non-harmonic notes that leave and return to the same chord note by a whole step or half step

Nel (Italian) in the, at the

Ne jamais (French) never

Nell’ (Italian) in the, at the

Nella (Italian) in the, at the

Nelle (Italian) in the, at the

Nello (Italian) in the, at the

Neo (Greek) a prefix indicating a revived interest in something old

Ne pas (French) no

Ne point (French) not

Ne que (French) only

Nera (Italian) quarter note

Nerveux (French) nervous

Net (Italian) clear

Netta (Italian) clear

Nette (Italian) clear

Nettement  (French) clearly

Nettemente (Italian) clearly

Netto (Italian) clear

Neue (German) new

Neues (German) new

Neuf (French) nine

Neun (German) nine

Neuvième (French) ninth

New Age music a compositional style conducive to meditation

New Orleans jazz an early style of jazz originating in New Orleans in the first two decades of the twentieth-century

Ng…

Ngoni a small traditional four-stringed Mali lute in the form of a teardrop

Nguyeät (Vietnam) guitar-like instrument with a long neck, which emits muted sounds, having 2 strings made of silk braid

Ni…

Nicht (German) not

Nieder (German) down

Niederdrücken (German) depress, press down

Niente (Italian) nothing

Nigenkin two string Japanese zither used in Shinto shrines

Ninth compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second

Nitrocellulose Lacquer Used since the 1920’s, a quick-drying solvent-based lacquer that contains nitrocellulose. A very hard, flexible and durable finish that can be polished to a high sheen. It yellows with age, producing a desired vintage look. see Anatomy of a Classical Guitar

Nj…

Njurkle monochord guitar used in Malian music

No…

Nobile (Italian) noble

Nobilmente (Italian) nobly

Nobiltà (Italian) nobility

Noblezza (Italian) nobility

Noch (German) still, yet

Noche (Spanish) night

Nocturne (English) a moderately slow piece, usually for piano, of dreamy, reflective, contemplative character and song-like melody

Nocturne (French) a moderately slow piece, usually for piano, of dreamy, reflective, contemplative character and song-like melody

Notturno (Italian) a moderately slow piece, usually for piano, of dreamy, reflective, contemplative character and song-like melody

Node the point on a vibrating string that is at rest

Noël (French) a Christmas carol

Noire (French) quarter note see Note Values

Non (French) not, no

Non (Italian) not, no

Non-open String A fretted note.

Non-traditional Sound Hole A sound hole that is not round. Sound Holes are not limited to a particular site or number. see Anatomy of a Classical Guitar

Nonet (English) a group of nine players, a piece written for nine players

Nonett (German) a group of nine players, a piece written for nine players

Nonette (French) a group of nine players, a piece written for nine players

Nonetto (Italian) a group of nine players, a piece written for nine players

Non-harmonic note a note that does not belong to the chord with which it sounds, for example, a passing note

Non-imitative polyphony two or more independent melodic lines that do not share material with one another

Nonmetric music lacking a strong sense of beat or meter

Nonretrogradable rhythm a rhythmic pattern that sounds the same whether played forward or backwards

Non-tertian chords chord structures not based on thirds

Nontraditional time signatures time signatures using values other than 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12 for the top number

Non troppo (Italian) not too much

Non-Western music music alien to the Western tradition of music, music and instruments of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific Islands, the Native Americans,  …….

Non-Western sounds music alien to the Western tradition of music, music and instruments of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific Islands, the Native Americans, …….

Noodling improvised musical phrases a musician might play while warming up

Normal Accent  See normal accent in Note Values

Nota cambiata (Italian) changed note

Nota sensibile (Italian) leading note

Notation the method used to write down music. see Elements of a Musical Score  see Note Ornamentation see Elements of Standard Notation for Classical Guitar

Note a single sound of a particular pitch and length which is notated with a symbol made up of a note head, a stem (in some cases) and a flag (in some cases). See notes in Elements of a Musical Score see Elements of Standard Notation for Classical Guitar see Elements of Tablature for Classical Guitar

Note de passage (French) passing note

Note head the head, or round part of the note symbol as distinguished from the stem or any other part of the note. See note head in Elements of a Musical Score see Elements of Standard Notation for Classical Guitar

Note ornaments  see note ornaments in Note Ornamentation

Note row the chromatic scale

Notturno (Italian) nocturne

Nove (Italian) nine

Nowell (English) a Christmas carol

Nu…

Nuances a set of symbols added on the score to indicate the volume at which a note or a series of notes are to be played

Nuova (Italian) new

Nur (German) only

Nut a slightly raised bar at the top of a guitar neck

Nut Height The height of the string measured from the top of the first fret to the bottom of the string as adjusted at the nut slot. see Anatomy of a Classical Guitar

Nutrendo (Italian) full rich or well-sustained tone

Nutrito (Italian) full rich or well-sustained tone

Nz…

Nzele a Kenyan music style created in the late twentieth-century, revolves around the lead singer, bass guitar, drums, percussion, keyboards, flute, horns and a  rhythm guitar