nakers Medieval percussion instruments resembling small kettledrums, played in pairs; of Middle Eastern origin.

neumatic Melodic style with two to four notes set to each syllable.

neumes Early musical notation signs; square notes on a four-line staff.

new age Style of popular music of the 1980s and 1990s, characterized by soothing timbres and repetitive forms that are subjected to shifting variation techniques.

New Orleans jazz Early jazz style characterized by multiple improvisations in an ensemble of cornet (or trumpet), clarinet (or saxophone), trombone, piano, string bass (or tuba), banjo (or guitar), and drums; repertory included blues, ragtime, and popular songs.

new wave Subgenre of rock popular since the late 1970s, highly influenced by simple 1950s-style rock and roll; developed as a rejection of the complexities of art rock and heavy metal.

ninth chord Five-tone chord spanning a ninth between its lowest and highest tones.

nocturne "Night piece"; common in the nineteenth century, often for piano.

Noh drama A major form of Japanese theater since the late fourteenth century; based on philosophical concepts from Zen Buddhism.

nonmetric Music lacking a strong sense of beat or meter, common in certain non-Western cultures.

non troppo Not too much.