Glossary of Musical Terminology - N

N

• narrante: narratingly
• natural: a symbol (♮) that cancels the effect of a sharp or a flat (see in this list)
• naturale or nat.: natural; i.e., discontinue a special effect, such as col legno, sul tasto, sul ponticello, or playing in harmonics
• N.C.: no chord, written in the chord row of music notation to show there is no chord being played, and no implied harmony
• Nebenstimme (Ger): secondary part; i.e., a secondary contrapuntal part, always occurring simultaneously with, and subsidiary to, the Hauptstimme
• nicht (Ger): not
• niente: "nothing", barely audible, dying away
• nobile or nobilmente: in a noble fashion
• nocturne (Fr): a piece written for the night
• notes inégales (Fr): unequal notes; a principally Baroque performance practice of applying long-short rhythms to pairs of notes written as equal; see also swung note
• notturno: same as nocturne (see above)
• number opera: an opera consisting of "numbers," e.g. arias, intermixed with recitative