Taps at a Military Funeral: What It Means and What to Expect

Maybe you've heard Taps in a movie, or at a grandparent's funeral long ago. Now it's going to be played for your person, and you want to know what to expect. When does it happen? Will it be a real bugler? What are you supposed to do while it plays?

My husband was a Navy veteran. I know what it's like to stand in a moment you've dreaded for days and not know what's coming next.

So here is what I'd want you to know about Taps before the day comes: where it came from, when it's played, and how to ask for a live bugler if that matters to your family. There is no wrong way to feel when you hear it.

Jump to: Where it came from · When it's played · Live or ceremonial bugle · What to do · Taking care of you

Where Taps Came From

It began as a lights-out call. In July 1862, at Harrison's Landing in Virginia, Union General Daniel Butterfield and his brigade bugler, Oliver Wilcox Norton, reworked an older bugle call into the 24 notes we know today. It was meant to close the soldiers' day: lights out, time to rest.

It was first played at a funeral that same summer. Captain John Tidball needed to bury one of his soldiers, but firing the usual three rifle volleys so close to the enemy wasn't safe. So he had Taps sounded instead.

It has been part of military funerals ever since. The Army officially recognized the call in 1874, and by 1891 it was standard at military funerals. In 2013, Congress named it the National Song of Military Remembrance.

There's comfort in that first meaning, too. Before it was a goodbye, Taps was the call that told tired soldiers they could finally rest. It is still played every evening at Arlington National Cemetery.

When Taps Is Played

Near the end, during the military honors. The personal part of the service usually comes first. Then, if there is a rifle volley, the order is the volley, then Taps, then the folding and presentation of the flag. If there's no volley, Taps comes just before the folding.

The flag is held over the casket while it plays. If your veteran was cremated, the flag is held over the urn.

It lasts about a minute, and it's played once. There's no second time through. When the last note fades, everyone stays still for a moment before the honor guard moves.

Live Bugler or Ceremonial Bugle

The law promises Taps, not a live bugler. Federal law says every eligible veteran's funeral honors include the folding and presentation of the flag and the playing of Taps. If no bugler is part of the honor guard, a recording is played.

What a ceremonial bugle is. Often, a member of the honor guard raises a real bugle with a small electronic device inside the bell that plays a recording of Taps. Live buglers are preferred, but there aren't enough to go around. A ceremonial bugle is still a full and proper honor. It's how the services make sure no veteran goes without.

Ask the question the right way. If a live bugler matters to you, don't just ask, "Will there be a bugler?" Volunteers with Bugles Across America say families often hear "yes" and find out later it was a ceremonial bugle. Ask your funeral director, "Will someone be playing Taps live on a horn?"

You can request a live bugler for free. Bugles Across America is a nonprofit of volunteer buglers who play Taps for veterans at no charge. You fill out a short form online, and it goes to their volunteers within 100 miles of the service. They can't promise someone in every area, so ask as soon as you know the date, time and place. Have these ready: the street address of the cemetery or funeral home, the date and time, and your veteran's name and branch of service.

If no volunteer is free. Try TapsBugler.com's Find a Bugler page, which lists other volunteer groups and local buglers. A high school or college band director may also know a trumpet player who would be honored to help.

A wavering note is not a failure. Taps is hard to play well, outdoors and full of feeling. Even the bugler at President Kennedy's funeral faltered on one note. If it happens, it's simply a person giving their very best for yours.

Tell your funeral director. If you request a volunteer, let the funeral home know right away, so the honor guard expects them and no one is surprised on the day.

If someone you love plays the trumpet. Some families ask a grandchild, a friend or a church musician to sound Taps. If that's your wish, talk with your funeral director first, so the player can coordinate with the honor guard.

About Echo Taps. You may have heard Taps played twice, back and forth, by two buglers. That's called Echo Taps. It's used at some memorial events, but at military funeral honors, Taps is sounded once, by one bugler.

What to Do While Taps Plays

• Stand if you can. If you can't stand, that's completely fine. Stay seated.
• Hand over heart. Many people place their right hand over their heart, and men take off their hats. It's a custom, not a rule. No one will judge you.
• If you're in uniform, salute from the first note to the last. Many veterans out of uniform choose to salute too.
• Put your phone away. Please don't record or take photos during Taps unless the family has asked for it.
• Let the silence be. After the last note, wait for the honor guard to move before you do.

Taking Care of You

It's okay if this is the moment that undoes you. Many families say Taps is what they remember longest, even if they held together through everything else. You don't have to be strong. Let the tears come, and lean on whoever is next to you.

If children are with you, tell them ahead of time that a horn will play a slow, sad song to say goodbye. Unlike the rifle volley, it isn't loud or sudden.

You can hear it again later. Some families play a recording of Taps at a celebration of life, at the scattering of ashes, or at home on an anniversary. It can be a quiet way to feel close again.

About the words. Taps has no official lyrics. Over the years, people have written unofficial verses to the melody, but at a military funeral it is always played, never sung.

When You're Ready for the Program

If you're making the funeral program, it helps to list "Military Honors" or "Taps" at the end of the order of service, so guests know what's coming. Our free Military Honors at the Service page includes wording you can copy right in. Our Military & Patriotic templates have room for their branch and years of service, and you can edit them in Canva.

More Help

• Step-by-Step: What Happens at a Military Funeral (Free Guest Page)
• Military Funeral Honors: Who Qualifies and How to Arrange Them
• Personalizing a Military Funeral While Honoring Tradition
• The Flag: From First Salute to Final Presentation
• Original Poems for a Military Veteran's Funeral Program
• Military & Patriotic Funeral Program Templates

Please note: This is general information, not legal or benefits advice. Honors vary by branch, local unit and cemetery, and volunteer buglers can't be promised everywhere. For your family's situation, please check with your funeral director, the cemetery, or an accredited Veterans Service Officer. Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1; text 838255; or chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net. In an emergency, call 911.

With care,
C. Lindorfer, Noted & Charmed