How long should it take for me to learn to play Taps on a bugle? I don’t know how to play any musical instrument. Is a bugle particularly hard to play? How long should it take me to learn? I only need to learn that song, and no others.
The great thing about Taps is that it does not require you to learn any “fingerings” for the bugle. The bad thing is that you need to have a decent sense of pitch to play any tune on an instrument (you need the feedback of knowing when you’re doing something wrong), and on a bugle for a song as somber as Taps, you’ll want to have good tone, since it is always played solo.
That said, it should take you about a week of one- or two-hour practice sessions to build up the requisite muscles in your lips and breath control required to play it well. If you are planning on playing this at a very formal event like a funeral, practice for at least two weeks (if the party you intend to play for is already deceased, you will probably not have time).
If you want the tune to be recognizable but not much more, such as during the 4th quarter of a football game, you can learn in an afternoon. But it will sound like crap.
A couple weeks with good pitch, eh? So maybe I should allow for a few months. Thanks for the info.
I am kinda considering playing at funerals, but there’s no rush. The military has resorted to using radios or even “magic” bugels that play themselves at funerals. There is an extreme shortage of personnel with the ability to play a bugle. I was just thinking it would be more honorable to truly play the bugle and not just press the Play button.
As Jurph said, if you can hear the notes, it’s a very easy thing to play. The entire song is merely a matter of tightening and loosening lip muscles, rather than doing any fingerings.
You’ll have a funny circle on your lips though. And they’ll tingle. And I had a friend in high school who couldn’t stand to play brass instruments because they made her teeth hurt. Whatever you do, if it’s making your teeth hurt, stop!
If you haven’t already been there, you might want to check out http://www.tapsbugler.com/.
If you’re curious, you can play Taps on any brasswind instrument, using any fingering. Just keep the same fingering, and adjust your lips accordingly.
Two words of caution: First, you’ll have to start higher than you might think. There will be three notes you can hit most easily; the lowest of those isn’t used at all in Taps (I don’t remember if the middle one is used). Second, I’ve tried my lips at trumpet a time or two (same range as a bugle), and found that it hurt my throat to play in the trumpet range, too high pitched. I don’t know what exactly causes this to be a problem with some but not others, but it might not work out for you.
I might also add that Taps sounds surprisingly good on a tuba, and the sound carries much further. Good for announcing bedtime to an entire camp, say.
We used to play on our tubas after we got home from a parade or game. Very easy tune to play because you don’t need to know any fingerings. I agree that it sounds better on a tuba because the somber mood of the song is not benefitted by the brassy sound of a trumpet. Of course, I’m a tuba player, so I probably think everything sounds better on a tuba.
–Cliffy
You misspelled “trombone.”
Wah wah wah waaaaaaaaah. 
It takes some dedicated practice to get your embouchre right to hit the high notes without going sharp and the low notes without going flat.
Also, when you begin to play, don’t press the mouthpiece into your lips to hard, you’ll get the note out, but you’ll also end up with some bruising (I’m a trumpet player… who played with braces for a year or so).
Yes, you might be able to play Taps after two weeks practice, but it will not be the quality acceptable at a military funeral. I’ve been practicing daily for over two years on the bugle and I’m just getting to the point of playing an publicly acceptable version of Taps. Embouchure is everything. Your lips, jaw and face have many muscles that need to be strengthened in order to play Taps comfortably. This doesn’t happen overnight. I recommend you listen to some of the Taps buglers who have recordings on You Tube. I also recommend that you record yourself playing Taps. You will be amazed that you don’t sound as good as you think. You must continue to practice often. Your embouchure can degrade quickly if you don’t practice. Good luck!! Once you’ve arrived at that golden moment, I suggest you join Bugles across America and volunteer to play at veterans’ funerals. It’s a very rewarding experience. BMC Paul C. (USCG)
Heh, I taught myself how to play Taps when I was a kid on my little toy bugle made out of plastic.
I remember it because when my Mom got home from work that day I was all like:
“Hey Mom, check this out.” [Plays bugle]
Mom: “Oh cool, Taps!”
Me: “Huh? There’s actually a name for that? I just thought it was something they did on the cartoons.”
I would hope after nine years he’s given up or is pretty much an expert at it.
In other words, Zombie Buglers!!!
I’m puzzled by the people who are telling the OP that he won’t have to learn any “fingerings” for the bugle on this particular tune. Have they ever seen a bugle?
So, Bear, how’d it turn out?
Um… Have you ever seen a bugle?
I believe that is Biffy’s point.
–Cliffy
:smack: Ah, it’s still early.
10:30am is early, right?
I wasn’t here in 2004.
One does not play taps. One sounds taps. Taps is not a song. Taps is a call.
Good call.
I was a Boy Scout and our Scoutmaster decided his troop needed a bugler.
He asked “Anyone here play an instrument?”
I raised my hand and said I played the saxophone. He handed me a bugle and said “Good, learn to play this.”
Within a month I was bugling at American Legion events and the like.
True story.