Name this instrument!

[zachkinstner]

I started this project with the intention of building a guitar in VR. Along the way, I decided that it would be better to invent a new instrument that works really well in VR, rather than trying to mimic a real guitar. So, I'm looking for a new name for this thirty-string... strum-able... impossible... virtual... instrument.

I put out a request for names in the 2015-10-22 DevUp video. I'll add names below as I receive them, and anyone else can feel free to add them as well.

And eventually, I suppose I'll need to make a decision about this :)

[zachkinstner]

Strummatic / Strumatic

[zachkinstner]

Vtar (from T1z3R via Reddit) / v-TAR / vTar / Veetar

VitaR (from Lashloch via Reddit)

[zachkinstner]

Digistrings (from Seanspeed via Reddit, who also added a "lol" 😄)

There's probably a bunch of good ones with the "-string" suffix.

[zachkinstner]

Stringstroment (Bufferzz Sir. via YouTube) / Stringstrument

Strum VR
String VR

[zachkinstner]

VStrings (bullale via Reddit)

For the name, I think you might want to avoid anything close to 'guitar' because I think at some point you might be able to fairly easily change the underlying waveform generator (or maybe even just some parameters?) to make it sound like different instruments.

[zachkinstner]

VHarp (Soul-Burn via Reddit)

If we're talking VR and a string instrument, how about VHarp? It has "VR" in it and harp is stringed. Unfortunately, that name seems taken by an existing harp artist. Other than that, this could be a useful tool even without VR.

[zachkinstner]

Chordophone (98Zai via YouTube)

How about the Chordophone? From wiktionary: "Any musical instrument that produces sounds from one or more vibrating strings; A string instrument"

[zachkinstner]

Tou'aera Guitar (CoderJoe via YouTube)

It is an amalgamation of the Greek words meaning, "of the air."

[zachkinstner]

The Thirtystring

RedofPaw referenced a book on Reddit, which has an instrument called an "elevenstring".

[zachkinstner]

Vuiaar (lumpking69 via Reddit)

pronounced Vee-Arr. Like Gee-Tar... but VR. Guitar

[KRSteinke]

Aetherian Harp

• Aether was a primordial greek diety. He personified the air and light. With your VR instrument you are literally playing the air with your hands. One could make an argument for light being a part of that as well. "Playing the light" since there is no physical object being played and it is strictly being represent as strands of ethreal light.

Asterian Harp

• Asteria was the Titan goddess of nocturnal oracles and falling stars. With nocturnal oracles basically being translated to "dreaming." Closest VR esque ideal I could come up with.

Ichorean Harp

• Ichor is the ethereal blood that flows through the greek gods. The VR harp is ethereal in nature.

Uses greek name to personify the instrument. Similar to the Aoelian Harp (Wind harp) Which is entirely played by wind. Also Greek names sound cool by default. Win-win. 💯

Aetherian just sounds cool for one. Unlike names which include "VR" in the name, it isn't gimmicky sounding and it sets itself up for sub-classing. Aetherian Harps could be the over-aching name VR native instruments. (Swap out Harp for the instrument class it's mimicing) In my opinion, your instrument seems more like a harp then a guitar IDK. Anyway, Aetherian sounds legit enough that music academics (people) outside of VR might willing adopt that name as well for these VR native instruments.

And that's are overall goal right? Get people who are not into VR to adopt the technology and new vernacular that goes with the tech.

-Kurt Steinke