A herald trumpet player from the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" plays.

Ceremonial Music - Ruffles and FlourishesDivider Text

“Ruffles and Flourishes” is a type of fanfare music usually performed on drums and bugles. It is a short piece that is played before a ceremonial song such as “Hail to the Chief” in honor of the commander in chief or other high-ranking government and military official.

The number of times “Ruffles and Flourishes” is played depends on the official rank of the person being honored. The highest ranked officials are honored with 4 “Ruffles and Flourishes,” these include former presidents of the United States, the president-elect, the vice-president of the United States, four star generals, speaker of the House of Representatives and other senior civilian government officials.

Information gathered from the manual Drill and Ceremonies, July 03, HQ DA, FM 3-21.5.