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I've honestly done both.

What do you do when people call your 4-door convertible an "automobile"?
-Or when they call your beagle a "dog"?

I'm happy if they don't call it a french horn.

But when they call my helicon a "sousaphone", well, that's different!

Sousaphone is only a name applied to a tuba with that physical configuration. Despite this special name it is still a tuba, just like a helicon is a tuba and a "marching tuba" in BBb is still a tuba.

I'm just happy they didn't call it a French Horn. 9 times out of 10, when people are wrong about what my instrument is, they call it a French Horn.

Art Hovey wrote: I'm happy if they don't call it a french horn.

But when they call my helicon a "sousaphone", well, that's different!

I always correct people when I have the helicon. I feel it is a history lesson that children need to know. Mostly, their eyes glass over and they likely don't get it.

Let it go.
Same thing I do when someone calls my euphonium a baritone.

lost wrote:Guestuser, notice i didnt put the option of telling the person they are wrong. Simply the more correct name....

It isn't more correct. I believe that was also the point of the beagle vs. dog analogy. Tuba and sousaphone are equally correct. The only point at which it would make any difference to anyone, would be if the difference makes any difference - like "will you play a sousaphone at this show, or your ... uh, tuba?"

At this point we notice that we don't have any real standard word for the tuba configuration that isn't sousaphone or helicon. I have said "lap tuba" once or twice, and I think it gets the idea across, but isn't exactly enshrined in common usage.

In the more general case, e.g. "your tuba player is too loud", I would prefer tuba since the details of the instrument are not at all relevant.

A Sousaphone IS a tuba, a circular tuba, so I agree with them and it doesn't eat me up inside. Not even a tiny nibble.

lost wrote:Yes the details of the instrument aren't relevant. Lets call sousaphones tubas. Blah blah blah. Donn you'd argue the time of day with a clock.

It isn't just me - as best as I can make out from other responses, everyone who has addressed this point is telling you the same thing. The word for it is "tuba."

My "Seuss"aphone is an outreach/marketing tool as much as a musical instrument.
I want to provide some enjoyment, and inspire kids to think, "Hey, that looks fun; Maybe I'll try an instrument when I get to fifth grade . . ."

So when anyone takes the initiative to comment, I try to make it a positive encounter for them.
Unless they're specifically asking, "Is that a sousaphone or a tuba?" (my answer would probably be, "both! - a sousaphone is a tuba that's easier to carry"), I'll give them a (verbal or physical) thumbs-up & pat on the back and get on about what I'm doing. I.e. I encourage interest and don't sweat the details.

lost wrote:Yes the details of the instrument aren't relevant. Lets call sousaphones tubas. Blah blah blah. Donn you'd argue the time of day with a clock.

You noticed that too??

I thought it was just me!!

I still run into people who ought to know better, who think Sousaphones are inferior to tubas... poorly built, out of tune, junk. That's why I call it a tuba built into a circular form for some guy named Sousa.

I always correct them and let them know that this is in fact the Horn of Helm Hammerhand. If they do not immediately retract their mistake I commence with the entire speech.



The speech

I once took my Jumbo Sousaphone to downtown Chicago's Tuba Christmas event via the Metra commuter train. I came out of the station doors wearing the ginormous tuba, and a gentleman a few dozen yards away on one of the Chicago River bridges yelled: "Damn that is a big *** trumpet."

...I'll take that...or sousaphone or tuba any day.


jc

Well... regardless of the configuration, it IS a tuba.

MrBasseyPants wrote:I once took my Jumbo Sousaphone to downtown Chicago's Tuba Christmas event via the Metra commuter train. I came out of the station doors wearing the ginormous tuba, and a gentleman a few dozen yards away on one of the Chicago River bridges yelled: "Damn that is a big *** trumpet."

...I'll take that...or sousaphone or tuba any day.


jc

I had a young man (5 or so) tell me as I was leaving a Dixieland gig with my sousy "Oh, that is a very big trumpet!"

-And my upright bass is often called a "big guitar"!
Go figure.

Aren't all sousaphones tubas?
But not all tubas are sousaphones.

bloke wrote:...as long as someone calls me for the gig...

Well... youse can call me Ray. Or youse can call me Johnson. But.... please call me!