Military Music

Music has long been a part of the military tradition - from the early horns of medieval battles to the waltzes during military balls. The music is almost as prolific as the battles that were fought. Who has not heard the bugle crying out the charge to battle or somberly sending another soldier home to his God?

Musical instruments have played an important role in the military of many cultures for thousands of years. In Euro-American culture, drums ordered the daily lives of the average soldiers, providing cadences for marching and signals for battle, as well as marking routine activities such as meal and bed time. The drum most associated with the military was a snare drum. Known as a side drum because it hangs on a sling at the player’s side, the cylindrical instrument has two skin heads: the batter head (top), which the drummer beats with two sticks, and the snare head (bottom), so named for the gut twine that when placed against the head gives the instrument its characteristic “buzzy” sound.

Yes, the music is a large part of the military tradition. In this section we present many different pieces of patriotic music for your listening pleasure.