# Why Is That Music Called "Taps"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 2, 2000, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-music-called-taps/21173 "2000-06-02T00:50:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2000, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-music-called-taps/21173/1 "2000-06-02T00:50:02Z")
Hi, I heard enough references to “Taps” this past weekend, and it occurred to me that I have no idea why it’s called that. Anybody know? Thanks, Stephen ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2000, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-music-called-taps/21173/2 "2000-06-02T01:01:52Z")
[Taps](http://www.computingcorner.com/holidays/vets/taps.html) was “written” by an army general, and gradually became a tradition in the US Army in civil war times. It became official after it was very widely used, and has been a part of Army tradition ever since Tris ---
**Author:** ![Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilgore_Trout_1)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2000, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-music-called-taps/21173/3 "2000-06-02T01:07:13Z")
it was originally called **lights out** , i think. i don’t know why it’s called **taps** , but here’s a history page that beats the crap out of the above post’s link. [http://www.west-point.org/taps/Taps.html](http://www.west-point.org/taps/Taps.html) ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2000, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-music-called-taps/21173/4 "2000-06-02T01:17:03Z")
From what I gathered from [this](http://www.mdw.army.mil/FS-H06.HTM) link, “Taps” is the regulation term for the extinguishing of lights. I think we need a military person in here to confirm that. ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2000, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-music-called-taps/21173/5 "2000-06-02T01:25:18Z")
Yahtzee! I got it. > [@](#): > > The word “taps” is derived from the Dutch word _taptoe_, or time to close up all the taps and taverns in the garrisoned towns. In a volume entitled, The Military Guide to Young Officers, by Thomas Simes, reprinted in Philadelphia, in 1776 there are instruction for the officer of the guard. “… The tat-too is the signal given for the soldiers to retire to their barracks or quarters, to put out their fire and candle and go to bed. The public houses are at the same time, to shut their doors, and sell no more liquor that night.” [Reference](http://www.bluejacket.com/tradition.htm#Taps) So “Taps” was written to indicate beddie-bye for soldiers but was later used for military funeral type deals. ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2000, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-music-called-taps/21173/6 "2000-06-02T14:06:34Z")
I think its still generally a lights-out song as well (as opposed to merely a funeral song). At the summer camp I went to, the bugler would go around and play that in each section of camp to indicate lights-out. ---
**Author:** ![Xgemina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/b5e925/32.png) [@Xgemina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xgemina)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2000, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-music-called-taps/21173/7 "2000-06-03T00:00:04Z")
Taps is still used on most Army installations and typically sounded at 22:00 (10 pm for you civilian types). At funerals it is sounded just after the salute and is quite a haunting sound after the crash of the rifles. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2000, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-music-called-taps/21173/8 "2000-06-03T04:40:55Z")
Quoth occ: > [@](#): > > At the summer camp I went to, the bugler would go around and play that in each section of camp to indicate lights-out. Same at my summer camp, except that the bugler was a tubist. You haven’t really heard Taps until you’ve heard it two octaves below middle C. Of course, I’m a bit biased on that… It’s used at funerals because it’s played at the end of the day, not vice-versa. ---
**Author:** ![Neil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/839c29/32.png) [@Neil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neil)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2000, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-that-music-called-taps/21173/9 "2000-06-05T02:46:34Z")
I wanna hear Taps done on a tuba for a ceremony. At my town’s Memorial Day Ceremony, they did Taps on trumpets (two from the HS band, and one from the VFW). It struck me at that moment that I needed to find a couple of contrabass bugles off E-bay for next year. -Neil