A national anthem is a musical composition that expresses patriotic sentiment and is often in the form of a song, march, or hymn. A piece becomes a national anthem when either a government name it as the official song, or through regular use by the population.
A national anthem is usually in the official language of the country, or in the most common language (in the case of countries with several official languages). They are generally performed on national holidays and nowadays, it’s commonplace to hear them at sporting events. Some countries also play their national anthem on the radio (for example, Colombia) or play it in schools for students on a daily basis (for example, Tanzania).
One of the most well-known national anthems is The Star-Spangled Banner, the national anthem of the United States. It officially became the anthem in 1889 and nowadays, it is sung before most NFL games, which has contributed to making it famous across the world. It is notoriously difficult to sing due to the 19 semitones in it.
La Marseillaise is another famous national anthem, representing France. It was written in 1792 and got its name from the volunteer troops who marched from Marseille to Paris singing this song.
Tomplay offers a selection of national anthems sheet music for various countries, including the USA, the UK, Canada, France, the Netherlands and more. These pieces are available for various instruments and levels so everyone can give them a go.
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