Talk:Last Post

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[edit] Redirect to Taps??

As far as I can tell this article references what is known in the United States as "Taps." Should we simply supplement that article with the "Last Post" info and use this as a redirect page?

Onlyemarie 03:24, 24 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Er, no. They're completely different bugle calls. The Last Post (UK and Commonwealth) sounds nothing like Taps (USA). -- Necrothesp 20:21, 24 Apr 2005 (UTC)

In the Taps article it says they are the same. I wonder...Onlyemarie 06:09, 25 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Well, being very familiar with both of them, I can assure you they're not. Anyway, it doesn't say they're the same - it says they're "equivalent", which is not the same thing at all. God Save the Queen is "equivalent" to The Star-Spangled Banner - it doesn't make them the same piece of music. -- Necrothesp 00:59, 28 Apr 2005 (UTC)

The page does appear to claim that Last Post is used today in the US for military funerals. I'm quite sure this is incorrect -- the US military uses only Taps for this purpose, as far as I'm aware, and Last Post is completely unknown in the US. Having lived in both Canada and the US, I join with Necrothesp in stating that Last Post and Taps are completely different bugle calls, even though they are used in the same way in their respective countries. -- Richwales 22:57, 9 November 2005 (UTC)

The Last Post and Taps are very similar. I would go so far as to say that Taps is a simplified version of The Last Post.

I suggest you listen to the calls. There is no resemblance except in the few few notes. -- Necrothesp 12:58, 10 November 2005 (UTC)

I HAVE listened to the calls. We sang Taps at the end of every Guides meeting, and played the Last Post at every rememberance day. They are incredibly similar, in a theme and variations stylee.

Well, you're entitled to your opinion of course. But being very familiar with both of them, I completely disagree. -- Necrothesp 18:04, 11 November 2005 (UTC)

I wonder whether the seeming similarity may be due to the fact that they're both bugle calls — necessarily restricted to the notes of the harmonic series, and sharing a tendency to go up and down the harmonic series by single steps. Both Taps and Last Post, for example, use the four-note descending sequence G-E-C-G. But I really don't think that's enough to make them "incredibly similar." Richwales 07:48, 13 November 2005 (UTC)

Taps and The Last Post are different pieces of music. However similar they may be they cannot be identified as one and they same. The Last Post is played the same way every time and so is Taps. It isn't like The Last Post is just Taps when mistakes are made, or vica-versa. They are clearly two seperate pieces of music. Symphonies from the same era can sound very similar but you can hardly say they are the same piece, can you? Secondly, the fact they are used differently (in different countries) should be enough to seperate them. The point is to enlighten, not confuse people. If people want to know about The Last Post then they should be able to find out about The Last Post. Depending which country they are from they might not care at all about Taps or vica-versa. Finally, as an Australian I know I would find it offensive if the tribute my country plays to soldiers who have died was confused with the tribute of another country. I've been living in America and I'm sure that Americans who have lost love ones in the line of duty would feel the same way. Different countries have different militaries, and different tributes, which in itself should be enough to seperate them. They are different and shouldn't be referred to as the same.

I'm relieved I didn't see this discussion at the time or I would have probably got so angry I'd have had a heart attack. (And then someone could have played the LP for me!) Now I feel quite calm so I will just add my (considerable) weight to those saying that they are in no way the same piece of music. They are not even that similar. Richwales was absolutely right when he pointed out that there's a kind of superficial similarity based on the fact that they are both bugle calls - yep, there is only so much you can do with six notes. But to suggest that they are "incredibly similar" - er, no, they are not. A fingerprint expert would walk away. Sherlock Holmes would go "yer what?" It's like saying that all Beach Boys tunes are the same tune, or that oranges are really bananas, or that Bach and Handel should be rolled into one article because they both wrote in D Major. It won't wash! Phew, glad I got that off my chest - back to suspended animation. (Ex-wikipedian) 138.37.199.199 16:19, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Merger with Military tattoo

Why on earth would we want to merge this with military tattoo? They're completely different things. Yes, the Last Post is usually played in a military tattoo, but they are most certainly not the same thing. -- Necrothesp 11:25, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

Exactly. The Last Post is a piece, not an event!

Quite. The merger, I am pleased to see, was not treated as a serious suggestion. 138.37.199.199 16:27, 3 May 2006 (UTC)