Names for a horn.. and a few questions

[Nicholas]

So many of you have probably seen that I'm looking for a horn, and I believe that I've found one of my liking. I have to head out to play it. In my area, we have a tradition of naming your own instrument. It is either of a women's name or a mythological creature or awesome adjective. So some ideas would be great!

Also... if anyone could help me with some tips on the transition between a Bb tuba and a Cc tuba, I would love it.

Thanks so much,
~Nicholas

[Tom Mason]

As I don't have any suggestions for names, I will try to help with transitions from BBb to CC. (I am in the same boat right now).

Practice scale patterns and think about trumpet fingerings.

I am running scales to memorize fingering patterns. I am using trumpet fingernings (C is open) for transposing excerpts. When I get to sightreading in rehearsals, I also think trumpet fingerings to get faster passages. More practice then to get passages under the fingers.

I am slowly going Rubank Contest Collections using the same tactics to get myself used to looking at music with different fingerings in mind.

[DonShirer]

If you follow Tom's advice, the name should be of a scaley monster, so:

FAFNER

[Tom Mason]

Or:


Neptune

[KenS]

My wife named my HB-2P Walter. I didn't think that was appropriate since it isn't a Nirschl, but it stuck.

Ken S.

[arminhachmer]

Arubatuba
CeeCeeBee
Hey You
Youtuba
Margaret
Gertruda
Lohengrin

...stop me.

[bergland]

Some Greek and Latin names (all guaranteed to improve tone and intonation):
- Erato
- Clio
- Thales
- Zephyr
- Melpomene
- Polyhymnia
- Antiope
- Syrinx
- Ariadne
- Merope
- Daedalus
- Alcestis
- Leto
- Hermes
- Pandora
- Scylla
- Sisyphus
- Aurora
- Aeolus
- Terpsichore

[Elbee]

Well, my 5J is the Lunk so if it's a C...C lunk...Flunk...oh never mind....

[SousaSaver]

Your horn's new name is...

(calculating...calculating...calculating)

Scott Thompson

or Carl Sagan

Take your pick.

[arminhachmer]

Zarathustra

Rumpelstilskin

Rapunzel

[elimia]

My Besson Sovereign euph is named "Bessie"

[Karl H.]

I'm old and simple.

Pick one etude and write in fingerings if you need to. Play it. Repeatedly. Then erase all the fingerings. Play it until comfortable. Move on to the next etude and never look back (or write in fingerings, or think in any way other than tuba in C).

My tuba is the "Alex" and my F tuba is the "Alex F".

Karl "could I possibly be as boring as I sound?" H.

[jonesbrass]

Although I don't refer to it as such, my Willson 3050 has been named "Godzilla" by the euphonium section.

[greatk82]

I named my 103 Custer because it was a little, big horn.

[clunkertruck]

A girl I was seeing had a smaller kid and when the movie "Ratatouille" came out we all went to see it-- He liked the movie alot and since then he started calling my horn Ratatubie-- Pretty cute-- Personally, though, I've never given any of my horns a name-- I figure if I ever get their names mixed up at all, they won't want to go out with me anymore--

[Tubajug]

Mine is "Old Exterminator." I got it from a WWII pilot's autobiography I was reading when I got my tuba. His plane was old and beat up but got the job done effectively, just like my tuba, so I thought it fit.

[Bob Kolada]

I don't really name my horns, but I do have specific words or phrases I call them by. My small King Eb and my old Conn stencil Eb are thing, funny horn,... My Kanstul contrabass trombone is the big boy (or, big trombone when talking to my not-musical-anymore brothers) or "STOMP STOMP STOMP", referring to it's common use in Wagner/monster movies/... My Amati euphonium I've had for around 15 years is just the Amati. My Getzen bass trombone is the Getzen or 1062. My old 1916 4 front valve Conn Giant was the giant. Clever fellow me, huh...

The 56J I play occasionally has a variety of rather insulting names.

[Nicholas]

So far I've got:

Armageddon
Stacy
Michael Clarke Duncan

[Chriss2760]

The Mira 186 is Liesel, from the German "liese", "a soft, low voice."
The Yamaha 621 is Rhiannon. She's a wench (with all due respect for the same.)

[finnbogi]

The Mira 186 is Liesel, from the German "liese", "a soft, low voice."

The German term for soft is actually "leise" (as in Isolde's "Mild und leise") - the English sound that corresponds to German "ei" is the "i" in "like".
"Liese" is an abbreviation of Elisabeth (as is Liesel or Liesl) and the corresponding English sound is the "ee" in "sleet".