Honor Guard Taps

[KirkF22]

I just found out that we are starting an honor guard at my squadron tonight. Our flighty Seargent asked if anyone played trumpet, I raised my hand because I do. He asked this because an honor guard member would play taps at a funeral. My question is is that is taps allowed to be played on a trumpet, or does it need to be played on a bugle. I asked him this and he said he wasn't sure. I am very willing to buy a bugle if necessary.

[Eclipse]

It would be very rare, if ever, that a CAP honor guard would be playing taps at a funeral.

Your best bet is to actually get an Honor Guard running and do some work before spending any time or money worrying about playing taps.

[SarDragon]

I have an Army Reserve friend who spent a bunch of years in a band unit. He did many funerals, and I think he always used his trumpet. I encountered the same thing at various Memorial Day events over the years - almost always trumpets.

[jimmydeanno]

Many military honor guards now lack the manpower to provide a real bugle/trumpet player, opting instead to "pretend" to play it by using a "ceremonial bugle" that plays a prerecorded version of Taps.

[HGjunkie]

My Honor Guard had a cadet for a while who was in a Jazz band at school, so we got him to play Taps for us. I'm fairly certain he used a bugle.

[lordmonar]

I just found out that we are starting an honor guard at my squadron tonight. Our flighty Seargent asked if anyone played trumpet, I raised my hand because I do. He asked this because an honor guard member would play taps at a funeral. My question is is that is taps allowed to be played on a trumpet, or does it need to be played on a bugle. I asked him this and he said he wasn't sure. I am very willing to buy a bugle if necessary.

Yes you can play a trumpet as a bugle.....You just pick one note and play it from there (My google fu says to hold down the first and third keys to replicate the tone of a bugle).

If you are willing to buy a bugle...that would be cool too.

[lordmonar]

It would be very rare, if ever, that a CAP honor guard would be playing taps at a funeral.

Your best bet is to actually get an Honor Guard running and do some work before spending any time or money worrying about playing taps.

That was not the question. 

[Critical AOA]

I have never seen a CAP honor guard at any funeral at all, let alone one that plays Taps. I do not see a need.

[lordmonar]

I have never seen a CAP honor guard at any funeral at all, let alone one that plays Taps. I do not see a need.

We did one here in Las Vegas a couple of years back.
In a lot of ways this is a "if you build it, then they will come" situation.

[spaatzmom]

I have never seen a CAP honor guard at any funeral at all, let alone one that plays Taps. I do not see a need.

The Fl wing Honor Guard beginning 2002 has done quite a number of funeral services and have had buglers at times.  They did one that had 2 musicians and the Taps rendition was unbelievable with the echo effect.  The family was especially grateful since they did not expect it.  Services have been performed by these cadets for all levels of CAP members from past members to former National Commanders and also for military families when the Guard from MacDill and other bases were otherwise engaged.

[That Anonymous Guy]

At encampment taps was played every night and I'm pretty sure they used a trumpet.

[BFreemanMA]

Anonymous, did you mean 'Retreat'? I hope Taps wasn't played at the end of the day!

[lordmonar]

Anonymous, did you mean 'Retreat'? I hope Taps wasn't played at the end of the day!

You play Taps at the very end of the day.  i.e. lights outs out.
Retreat is played when the duty day is done.

[FlyTiger77]

One of my fondest memories as an MP from back in the Dark Ages (mid-1980s) is of standing out at the post's main gate on a cool, clear autumn evening and hearing "Taps" played at 2300. The clear, clean notes of the music seemed to have an almost physical presence.

[NIN]

Last year when I was at  USAC annual training, we were contacted by the family or funeral home regarding final honors for a USAR colonel who had just died in the next town down the road, Paris, KY.  Apparently the USAR was unable to provide a funeral detail, and I'm not sure why the VFW or Legion wasn't in the picture, but when Colonel Land came to me and said "Captain, I'd like you to be the OIC of this funeral detail" I jumped at it.

SFC Sullivan (former Golden Knight and the NCOIC of that summer's Cadet Ranger School) and I quickly put together a team of his cadets. One of our more senior cadet NCOs was to serve as the bugler.

It is difficult to find someone who can legitimately bugle.  We owned one of these: http://www.ceremonialbugle.com/Products.htm

I didn't think it would look or sound good to have the cadet with that bugle right next to the grave site, so I positioned him 100 ft away near the treeline.

(Likewise, we only had access to .223 blanks and 2 M-4 carbines along with 5 of our cadet marksmanship rifles (M&P 15-22s). Sooooo, had to make the rifle salute look "correct" by placing the firing party far enough away from the gravesite so that you couldn't tell the visual difference between the M-4s and the 15-22s. )

I had a lady come up to me after the ceremony and tell me that the bugler was the best she'd ever heard.  Guess it worked.

[Black Knight]

At encampment taps was played every night and I'm pretty sure they used a trumpet.

Yah, they did. At the 2011 NYWg encampment, a cadet from my squadron played Taps and he used his trumpet.

[Black Knight]

I just found out that we are starting an honor guard at my squadron tonight. Our flighty Seargent asked if anyone played trumpet, I raised my hand because I do. He asked this because an honor guard member would play taps at a funeral. My question is is that is taps allowed to be played on a trumpet, or does it need to be played on a bugle. I asked him this and he said he wasn't sure. I am very willing to buy a bugle if necessary.

Yes you can play a trumpet as a bugle.....You just pick one note and play it from there (My google fu says to hold down the first and third keys to replicate the tone of a bugle).

If you are willing to buy a bugle...that would be cool too.

They are called valves, not keys!!! Keys are on a woodwind or percussion!!!! From my experience, holding down your first and third valve wouldn't work for C's or E's. And playing Taps isnt as simple as "picking a note and playing it from there.

[lordmonar]

I just found out that we are starting an honor guard at my squadron tonight. Our flighty Seargent asked if anyone played trumpet, I raised my hand because I do. He asked this because an honor guard member would play taps at a funeral. My question is is that is taps allowed to be played on a trumpet, or does it need to be played on a bugle. I asked him this and he said he wasn't sure. I am very willing to buy a bugle if necessary.

Yes you can play a trumpet as a bugle.....You just pick one note and play it from there (My google fu says to hold down the first and third keys to replicate the tone of a bugle).

If you are willing to buy a bugle...that would be cool too.

They are called valves, not keys!!! Keys are on a woodwind or percussion!!!! From my experience, holding down your first and third valve wouldn't work for C's or E's. And playing Taps isnt as simple as "picking a note and playing it from there.

Thanks for the education....as I said....my Google Fu....not my lengthy experince as a trumpet player.