Friedebald Gräfe came from a musical family and received his first music lessons on the violin, cello and trombone from his father Johann Gottfried Gräfe, who was a military musician in the music corps of the Ducal Saxon Line Infantry Regiment.

Friedebald was conscripted into military service at the age of 15 and was a trombonist in the music corps of the Coburg-Gotha Infantry Regiment for six years. After his release in 1862, he was a violinist in the Bad Nauheim spa orchestra during the co...