A military band is a group of personnel that perform musical duties for military

functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind
and percussion instrument. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of
Bandmaster or Director of Music. Ottoman military bands are thought to be the oldest
variety of military marching band in the world.

The military band should be capable of playing ceremonial and marching music,
including the national anthems and patriotic songs of not only their own nation but others
as well, both while stationary and as a marching band. Military bands also play a part in
military funeral ceremonies.

There are two types of historical traditions in military bands. The first is military field
music. This type of music includes bugles (or other natural instruments such as natural
trumpets or natural horns), bagpipes, or fifes and almost always drums. This type of
music was used to control troops on the battlefield as well as for entertainment.
Following the development of instruments such as the keyed trumpet or the saxhorn
family of brass instruments, a second tradition of the brass and woodwind military band
was formed.

The term "military band" may also be applied to civilian marching bands that play
military-style music, march in mostly straight-line formations and have similar
instrumentation and beat to military bands.

United Kingdom

During World War II, The Royal Air Force Dance Orchestra, better known as The
Squadronaires, served to entertain troops and support morale.

Regular British Army musicians are all members of the Corps of Army Music. As a
secondary role they are trained to work in NBC 'Casualty Decontamination Areas'. One
exception to this are members of the Pipe bands in the Royal Regiment of Scotland who
are all members of that regiment and are fully trained infantrymen as well as musicians.

In the United Kingdom, massed military bands perform at Trooping the Colour, an
annual ceremony held every June on Horse Guards Parade to mark the official Queen's
Birthday celebrations. The Massed Bands and Massed Mounted Bands play a central role
in this ceremony. The term "Massed Bands" denotes the amalgamated bands of all five
Foot Guards regiments, and numbers around 250 musicians. The term "Massed Mounted
Bands" denotes the amalgamated bands of the two Household Cavalry regiments.
And the usual instruments are:
* Herald/Fanfare Trumpets (optional)
* Trombones
* Cornets
* Euphoniums
* Tubas
* Marching percussion
o Snare drums
o Bass drums
o Cymbals (clash)
o Single Tenor drums
o Glockenspiels (optional)
* French Horns
* Saxophones(Alto/Tenor/Baritone/Soprano)/Bassoons
* Clarinets (Soprano/Bass/Alto)
* Flutes and Piccolos
* Corps of Drums (Army bands)
o Snare Drums
o Bass Drums
o Single Tenor Drums
o Cymbals
o Keyed Flutes/Bugles
o Glockenspiels (optional)
* Pipe Band/Pipes and Drums (Royal Regiment of Scotland and other Army units/RAF
Pipes and Drums)
o Bagpipes (Great Highland bagpipe)
o Highland Snare Drums
o Bass Drum
o Single Tenor Drums
* Bugle team (The Rifles)
o Bugles