The final bugle call of the day on military installations, "Taps" is played at military bases as a signal to service members that it is quiet time or "lights out".

Apr 15, 2016 · The origins of “Taps,” the distinctive bugle melody played at U.S. military funerals and memorials and as a lights-out signal to soldiers at night, date back to the American Civil War.

Apr 16, 2025 · Explore the history, meaning, and traditions of the Taps song, including its role in military ceremonies, when it’s played, and its lasting significance.

The sound of various drum beats and bugle calls could be easily heard over the noise of the battlefield and signaled Marines to attack the enemy or retire for the evening.

Brigade bugler, Oliver W. Norton, first sounded the call there. Years later, in 1898, Norton wrote about the creation and première of “Taps.” He claimed that General Butterfield showed him...

Of all the military bugle calls, none is so easily recognized or more apt to evoke emotion than “Taps.” The melody is both eloquent and haunting and the history of its origin is interesting and …

Apr 16, 2024 · Brig. Gen. Daniel Butterfield not only earned a Medal of Honor while serving in the Union Army during the Civil War, but he also is responsible for the bugle call we know as taps.

Oct 30, 2025 · Discover the moving history behind “Taps,” the bugle call born during the Civil War that became a timeless tribute of honor, comfort, and peace for all soldiers.

Working with his bugler, Oliver Wilcox Norton, he revised an older call in July 1862 that formed a simple and elegant melody, using 24 notes and only four pitches. Norton played it at the end of …

This version of the bugle call “Taps” is provided for your use by Jari Villanueva and Taps Bugler (www.tapsbugler.com), in partnership with the nonprofit organization Taps for Veterans …