Military Funeral Music Taps

What Taps Is and When It Plays

Taps is a 24-note bugle call first used at a military funeral during the Civil War; the earliest official reference to its mandatory use at military funerals dates to 1891. In the honors sequence, three rifle volleys, when included, come before Taps; the flag is folded and presented after the call.

The call lasts about 60 seconds. There are no lyrics — although the unofficial words ("Day is done, gone the sun") are widely known. The melody is in the public domain, but a specific recording can have separate copyright; check recording rights before streaming or archiving it.

Live Bugler vs. Digital Recording

Every eligible veteran is entitled to military funeral honors, which at minimum include a flag fold and the playing of Taps. The Department of Defense provides at least two uniformed service members for the ceremony.

A live bugler is not guaranteed. When one is unavailable, the honor detail may use a Ceremonial Bugle that plays a recording of Taps.

If having a live musician matters to your family, you have two options:

1. Request a live bugler through your funeral director when applying for military honors. The director submits the request to the branch of service. Availability depends on the installation's proximity and bugler schedule.
2. Hire a civilian bugler independently. Organizations like Bugles Across America maintain a network of volunteer buglers who play live Taps at veterans' funerals at no cost. Your funeral director or the local Veterans Service Organization can connect you.

Other Music at a Military Funeral

The military honor ceremony — Taps, the flag fold, the rifle volley — is a fixed protocol. But the rest of the funeral service is planned by the family, and you can include any music you want around the military elements.

Common additions:

• "Amazing Grace" on bagpipes — the single most popular pairing with Taps at military graveside services. A professional bagpiper typically costs $200–$350.
• "Battle Hymn of the Republic" — a processional hymn that bridges military and religious contexts.
• "America the Beautiful" — appropriate for the formal chapel service before the committal.
• "Eternal Father, Strong to Save" (The Navy Hymn) — traditionally associated with naval and maritime services but used across branches.
• "God Bless America" — a closing song that works at both religious and secular military memorials.
• "Going Home" (Dvořák, from the New World Symphony) — an instrumental piece widely used at military funerals, with a melody that evokes homecoming.

For veterans who served in specific conflicts, families sometimes include era-appropriate songs — Vietnam-era veterans might have "Bridge Over Troubled Water" or "Blowin' in the Wind" at the reception, for example. These personal choices belong outside the formal military ceremony, either during the church service or at the post-funeral gathering.

The Sequence at the Graveside

Understanding the order helps you plan where personal music fits:

1. The casket is carried from the hearse to the gravesite
2. The chaplain or officiant speaks (prayers, scripture, personal remarks)
3. A rifle detail fires three volleys, if included
4. Taps plays after the rifle volleys
5. The flag is folded and presented to the next of kin with the words "On behalf of the President of the United States..."
6. The formal ceremony ends

Personal music — a bagpiper playing "Amazing Grace," a vocalist singing "How Great Thou Art," or a recording of the veteran's favorite song — is typically placed either before step 2 (as a prelude while guests gather) or after step 6 (as the family departs). Keep personal music outside the honors sequence: it places Taps after any rifle volleys and before the flag is folded and presented.

How to Request Military Honors

Eligibility covers any veteran discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, plus active duty service members and certain reservists. Your funeral director handles the request by contacting the appropriate branch of service — you will need the veteran's DD-214 or other discharge papers to confirm eligibility.

The Department of Veterans Affairs suggests contacting the service branch 48 to 72 hours before the scheduled service to arrange military funeral honors.

The Funeral Music Selection Guide includes a musician verification checklist and a budget tracker that covers civilian and military ceremony music coordination — from bagpiper contracts to honor guard scheduling.