NAGARA — Vibrating Membrane. India. A large kettle drum used in the temples and beaten with two curved sticks.
NAGARE — See dimplipito.
NAGELGEIGE — See nail violin.
NAGGAREH or NAKKARAH — Vibrating Membranes. Syria and Arabia. A small brass double drum in the form of kettle drums with a head of skin and played with wooden drumsticks.
NAG-PHENI or TURI — Cup Mouthpiece. India. A trumpet whose tube near the mouthpiece is bent like the letter S. It expands into a bell at the lower end.
NAIL VIOLIN Or NAGELGEIGE — Sonorous Substances.
Europe. This was invented in 1740 in Russia by the violinist Wilde. It consists of a circular sound-box of wood in the circumference of which are inserted iron pins which diminish in height as the tones rise in pitch. The chromatic nails are bent. It is played with a violin bow. A later improvement (1780) had the addition of sympathetic strings. These were used by Senil of Vienna, who was famed for his nail violin playing. The idea originated from the fact that one day Wilde, having returned from a concert, was hanging his bow upon a nail when it scraped against the iron and produced a vibration which in turn gave a sound.
Some of the existing specimens are remarkably crude. Because of the resisting quality of the nails, an unusually coarse, black horsehair bow is required. An evolutionist would find a prototype of the nail violin in the zanze of the Africans. See zanze.
NAKKARAH — See naggareh.
NALLARI — Double-beating Reed. Korea. This is one of the most popular .instruments of Korea. The conical tube is fitted with finger-holes and a double-beating reed mouthpiece.
NANGA — Plucked Strings. Egypt. This has an oblong, box-like body, covered with skin. To one end is bound a narrow arched neck and from this to the further end of the body are drawn several strings, sometimes of gut, sometimes from the tail of the giraffe. The nano. and the ombi bear a striking resemblance to the boat-harps of the Egyptians and the Greeks.
NATURAL HORN — See hunting horn.
NAY or NEI — Vertical Flute. Syria, Persia and northern Africa. A tube of bamboo furnished with side holes. It was made in various lengths.
N'DUNGO — Vibrating Membranes. Africa. This has a long wooden body tapering slightly near the ends. In the center of one side is a handle. The ends are made of sheep-skin, as a rule, laced together with strips of hide or of fiber cord. The manner of playing is unique. The instrument is carried on the shoulder of one man while a second walks behind, beating it. These drums are often ornamented with skulls. Forbes tells of one weirdly embellished with twenty-four of them.
NEFIR — Cup Mouthpiece. Persia. This instrument, which is used by the dervishes, is made from the horn of an animal.
NEI -- See nay.
NGIEMEH — See koundyeh.
N'GOM or BE — Plucked Strings. Africa. The name given the ombi by the Fan tribe and the Mpongwe. See ombi.
NGOMA — Vibrating Membranes. Africa. Virtually a large kettle drum. The body is cask-shape, the head being of skin. It is struck with the fingers. The ngoma is native to East Africa and received its name from the dance, which is the delight of the Kafirs. This recreation continues from sunset to sunrise and everyone participates either in the dance, which consists in swaying the body and stamping the feet or in making the music.
NGONGE — Sonorous Substances. Africa. A wooden bell, cut from a solid block of wood, sometimes globular and sometimes irregular. One or more wooden clappers are hung within by a cord. Ngonges are worn by women as ornaments, but are also used on live stock and dogs. The African dog never barks and his master can locate him only by his bell. In Central Africa, ngonges are used in the funeral dances, in which instances they are hung upon the backs of the mourners.
NICHIN — Plucked Strings. Japan. A circular koto of four strings. See koto.
NICKO SHO — Sonorous Substances. Japan. Two small circular gongs of metal suspended in a wooden frame having a handle. Wooden beaters tipped with bone are used. The frame is about a foot high.
NI-DAIKO — Vibrating Membranes. Japan. A port-able drum, a variety of the da-daiko used in small religious processions. It is swung from a black lacquer pole which is carried on the shoulders of two men while the drummer walks at the side and beats it with sticks. It is surmounted by one red flame. The tone is very poor and thin. See da-daiko.
NI-GEN-KIN — Plucked Strings. Japan. The body is a flat piece of wood with a convex surface into which are inserted small pieces of metal acting as frets. It is furnished with slender feet and is placed upon a low table when played. The instrument is strung with two 'strings which first pass over a bridge having two notches and then over one having a single notch. After passing through the one notch they are tuned in unison. Heavy cylindrical tsume are used in plucking the strings.
NIJUGO-GEN — Plucked Strings. Japan. An instrument having an oblong body about three feet in length. In width it tapers from eight to six inches and the upper surface is slightly convex. The nijugo-gen is furnished with twelve pairs of strings and one other. These are fastened to one end of the body and after passing over a bridge are carried to the interior through thirteen holes which are placed diagonally across the face.
NI-NO-TSUZUMI — See ichi-no-tsuzumi.
NKONJO — Sonorous Substances. Africa. A drum used among the Mpongwe, the Gaboon and French Kongo tribes to accompany a dance bearing the same name. The heads are of skin which, as is usual in these sections, are beaten by the fingers and palms alternately, drumsticks being a rarity.
No —Double-beating Reed. Siam. A conical tube having finger-holes and terminating in a bell. It is fitted with a double reed mouthpiece.
NO-KAN — Transverse Flute. Japan. A bamboo or iron flute played transversely and having finger-holes.
NORFE — Plucked Strings. Egypt. A pear-shaped body of wood with a long neck or finger-board provided with frets, one found at Thebes still having the remains of frets of camel gut. The strings are plucked with the fingers or a plectrum. When the instrument appeared in the hieroglyphics it meant " good."
NYASTARANGA — Vibrating Membranes. India. A pair of conical tubes flaring at the ends. They are played by placing one on either side of the throat, the vibrations of the vocal cords setting in motion small films of spider web inserted in the tubes by which the sound is produced.
NYCKELHARPA — Bowed Strings. Norway. An instrument which somewhat resembles the hurdy gurdy and is a modern form of the schlüsselfidel. It differs from the hurdy gurdy, however, in that it is played with a short, curved bow. Instead of stopping the strings upon a fretted finger-board, the instrument is provided with several keys to which are attached tangents acting upon the strings much as those in the clavichord. Sympathetic strings are often provided and several octaves are within reach of the keyboard. See hurdy gurdy and schlüsselfidel.
