Gifts For Pianists: What to Buy a Piano Player

A lot of people who are interested in playing the piano, or who are already great it it, love the piano. They may see being a pianist as a huge part of their identity. This means the perfect opportunity for finding gifts for pianists. When a birthday or Christmas rolls around again it can be really hard to know what to buy someone. The best approach is to buy something that they will actually be passionate about and care about, and this is where piano comes in.

In this guide, we’ve got quite the selection of piano gifts. There is a wide variety of different types of gifts on this guide that can give you plenty of different choice, and the option to shower your pianist friend or family member with gifts.

How to Choose Gifts For Pianists

Before we dive into some specific items, let’s look at how you should actually choose a gift. Of course, there are plenty of items out there you may see and think are great, but be sure to consider a few other aspects:

Ability level. You don’t want to buy someone who is brand new to the piano sheet music of the most difficult songs to play. Similarly, you don’t want to buy a professional a beginners’ course.
Use of the item. There’s no harm in buying items just because they are a bit of fun. However, it is great to find something that is useful if you possibly can. There are plenty of gifts for pianists that fit this criteria.
Personality of the piano player in question. There’s no point in buying a really loud item of clothing for someone who is shy, for instance. Some of the novelty piano items might draw attention, so think about whether that is something the person in question would want.
Price. We all have a price point at which we can afford to buy the item. Some of the piano items might be amazing but they could be out of your price range.

Buying gifts for a pianist is always going to be something you need to think about. Our options will help you a great deal but make sure you consider the person in mind and whether it is the sort of thing they will enjoy.

Piano Lessons

Great for beginners. If you know someone who is an aspiring pianist then one of the best gifts you can possibly give them is piano lessons.

A lot of local tutors will allow you to buy a voucher from them, or pay for a certain number of lessons for somebody else. This is a way to ensure that your loved one can get started with their lessons and see if the piano is the instrument for them.

You can also buy online piano lessons, including a lifetime membership at Pianu, which allows people to follow our course to learn all the basics of piano, and also learn individual songs.

With an online membership to Pianu, you also take a lot of the pressure off your friend or family member to attend at a certain time. They can learn at a time and place that suits them. They can also learn at their own pace without putting pressure on, or having to keep up with a class.

Before you buy online piano lessons for somebody, make sure you check that they have the equipment they need. This may be as simple as a keyboard and a laptop. It doesn’t require a great deal of equipment to access Pianu and start learning how to play.

Of course, if your friend is already playing gigs and is considered a pro, don’t buy them lessons for beginners.

Concert Tickets

This is a great gift for pianists and all music lovers and pianists. It makes sense that a piano player will want to see professionals in action and get some inspiration from the very best.

It is probably not the best idea to just randomly buy tickets in the hope that somebody likes the artist or pianist. Instead, try to work out if your pianist friend or family member likes this artist already. Subtly checking if they have any concerts on the horizon can also help you to avoid double-booking.

Of course, you also need to think about the logistics of this one, is it an event they can get to? You may even want to go all out and offer to take them to the concert.

Pianists love to see others doing what they do best. It can be a learning experience as well as one of pure inspiration for piano players. The great thing about this as a gift is that any ability level can enjoy piano concerts.

There are some amazing venues out there and world-class performers. Be sure to check who is touring your local city.

Sheet Music

If the pianist in question can read music then buying sheet music as a gift for pianists might be a good call. As well as being functional and helping them to learn more, sheet music can be beautiful.

Whether you buy individual sheet music or one of the many beautiful piano books that is on the market, you will find a huge variety of choice.

The sheet music books are a great way to give somebody a very personal gift that represents their favorite band or artist. For instance, you can still buy music books that provide the chords and music for all of the songs on a classic album. These also include the lyrics and sometimes the guitar tabs.

A nice thing to do as a decorative item can be to get the sheet music of a specific song (preferably one of the pianist’s favorites) and get it framed. This isn’t as functional of course, but it provides them with a beautiful item that can look wonderful in their music room.

If you don’t know what sheet music to buy, you may also be able to buy vouchers at some of the music stores that sell sheet music. This means that you can fund the gift and let them choose their own sheet music. This can be handy if they need a certain piece for an upcoming recital, for instance.

A Piano Sculpture

Some of the gifts for pianists that are out there can be purely decorative, of course. Plenty of pianists love to put nods to their hobby around the house and this is one of the best ways. Etsy has an amazing number of sculptures that are made from many different materials and in different styles.

Piano sculptures don’t necessarily serve any purpose other than looking great but they can decorate a music room, or any other room in the house. Some of them are carved out of wood or made out of different types of metal.

One of the great things about a gift like this is that it can be treasured for a number of years to come. In fact, the recipient of the gift may wish to keep it for life.

A Keyboard Starter Kit

Another gift that is definitely aimed at beginners. A starter kit may contain the following items:

A keyboard.
Sheet music and learning materials.
A stand.
Headphones.

A kit like this can be a great way to get started. Some will contain full, 88-key digital pianos. Other kits just have small keyboards with 49 or 61 keys. This is more than enough to learn most pop songs even though you won’t be playing Beethoven on a small keyboard.

Of course, this is only really a suitable gift for beginners. If you have a loved one in your family that wants to learn to play piano, this is a great starting point. Due to the fact that the kits often have smaller keyboards it is also great for children.

You can learn all of the basics on a keyboard. Some even come with pedals that replicate the pedals of a piano. There is no point in paying thousands for an amazing grand piano if you don’t know if you are going to stick with the hobby.

If your kid comes to you and asks to learn piano, a kit may be your best option. They tend to be a way to save money, too, as the bundled items are cheaper than buying individually.

Another Instrument

If you know somebody who is already great at piano, they might want to move onto another instrument. It is best to discuss this with them first, or try to get hints.

If somebody loves music, there is every chance they will learn multiple instruments. If you look at many professional musicians you will notice a lot of them play many instruments.

Being able to play multiple instruments is definitely a lot of fun, as proven by this video:

It also gets a lot easier to learn a second instrument. A lot of the principles of music are the same. For example, if you learn to read music for piano this is a skill you will still have for other instruments.

Playing a second instrument opens up a lot of different opportunities. If you go into the recording studio there is more that you can do on your own. Some musicians in the modern age make a whole album on their own, playing every instrument. There are many albums out there that are examples of this.

A second instrument is also a way to deal with creative block and gain more inspiration as a musician. If you’re a professional it is also a potential second income stream.

So, if the pianist in your life has expressed that they might want to learn guitar, violin, or any other instrument, this could be the perfect gift.

There are also a lot of small and inexpensive instruments that are seen as a bit of fun by many. For example, you could always buy a Ukulele, or for more of a laugh, an Otamatone.

Piano Books

A book is always a good gift (as long as you choose something interesting).

There are plenty of books that can help somebody to learn how to play the piano, but this is not always the best approach. Piano is an interesting topic anyway which means that there are some brilliant coffee table books.

One example is “A Natural History of the Piano: The Instrument, the Music, the Musicians--from Mozart to Modern Jazz and Everything in Between”. The book by Stuart Isacoff and has some amazing reviews.

The book is described as:

“A generous, welcoming book, full of oddities and insights. . . A history written by a pianist and historian with a lively touch and a reach that spans octaves of science, culture and politics.”

There are a lot of other piano books, and not just songbooks. Whether they focus on technique or provide you with a whimsical look at the history of piano, a piano book is always an interesting read.

Piano T-Shirts (and Artist Merch)

Yes, a t-shirt is another classic gift. There are a lot of different piano t-shirts out there. You might have to think about who you are buying for. Are they likely to enjoy a loud t-shirt that tells the world they love to play piano or is it better if you buy something more subtle?

There are funny t-shirts, artistic t-shirts, and many other designs. You’ll always find something perfect for your pianist friend.

On top of this, you may know that your friend loves a certain musician or pianist. This means you can explore their specific merchandise. Musicians make more money out of touring and merchandise than they do releasing music. This means that it is a good way to support the musicians your friend loves, too.

Many bands, artists, and other musicians have plenty of merch including t-shirts, tote bags, hoodies and more.

Piano Socks

Piano is the perfect image to put on some socks. Socks may be a stereotypical present but they are always useful, and if you include someone’s passion you can also bring a smile to their face. These piano socks are a great example.

There are a few different designs of piano socks. Most of them revolve around the way the piano keyboard looks, as you would expect!

There are other items of clothing that you may also find, which provide you with more piano gift ideas. Piano bowties, bags, and even underwear are all available, and can provide a unique gift.

A Music Composition Book (Manuscript Book)

If your pianist friend loves to write music too, this can be the perfect gift. There are some truly beautiful composition books out there, marked out and ready for handwritten sheet music.

Sheet music can be truly beautiful as well as being a great way for musicians to functionally remember and communicate their ideas.

A stunning, leather-bound composition book may be one of the very best items that you can buy for a musician, and especially a pianist.

To find a great composition book, simply search for a “manuscript book” and you will find plenty of different choices. Why not combine this with a nice set of pens?

You never know, you may even be the person who buys the notebook that a hit song or musical masterpiece is composed within.

A Metronome

A metronome is a great piece of equipment for pianists. It helps them to stay in time and practice along with some backing. When it becomes time to play with other musicians it is much easier if you are able to play in time.

On top of this, some of the mechanical metronomes on the market are basically clockwork. They are very interesting and sometimes beautiful items. That means they look good when they sit on top of a piano or keyboard.

You can buy electronic metronomes that are also functional and can be a good gift, but we recommend one of the more interesting and attractive mechanical models.

Piano Bench

Does the pianist in your life need somewhere new and comfortable to sit? There are many different piano benches in the market and some may even fall within your gift budget.

Piano benches often serve as functional storage for piano accessories as well as a comfy place to play. The chances are, you’re going to be playing for long periods of time and want somewhere that you’re happy to stay for this time without getting sore.

Piano benches can also come in some quite regal and interesting designs making them interesting gift ideas.

A Keyboard Carry Case

Is it time for your piano-playing loved one to go mobile? If you have a friend that has learned to play on a keyboard or digital piano, and they are ready to start playing out and about, a carry case could be an ideal gift. Carry cases may not feel like the most exciting gift you can buy but they are very useful.

If somebody has an expensive digital piano it is especially important that they protect this. If they need to travel to gigs or to practice with a band it is even more important that they have a quality case.

A Subscription

There are a lot of subscriptions that your piano-playing friend might be very happy with. From piano magazines to learning platforms. Even the hugely-popular Masterclass, showing how celebrities and icons practice their craft, can be a good gift for others.

You can buy them a membership for Pianu to allow access to a huge amount of learning materials, with new song tutorials being added all the time so you can rest assured that there is always something new and interesting for pianists. This is a great gift for beginners.

If you know that your piano-playing friend or family member reads a certain piano magazine, there’s every chance this could be a great gift, too.

Don’t Forget The Piano Card

We live in the age of customizable cards. As well as great gifts for pianists, why not get the perfect birthday or Christmas card for your friend or family member? This may mean a personalized card with a piano theme. You can even add pictures of them playing piano or of their favorite instruments.

It is easy to find a variety of different options for piano cards. Sometimes it is the thought of a birthday card that can bring the biggest smile to somebody’s face.

Are Vouchers or Gift Cards a Good Gift For Piano Players?

Some of the expensive elements of piano-playing include having to have your instrument tuned, buying accessories, and paying for sheet music. It is possible that you might be able to buy gift cards or vouchers to pay for these things, which takes some of the financial pressure off.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask

If your piano-playing friend has an item in mind that they need, it is better to ask them. It may ruin the surprise, but it is far better to get them an item that you know they are going to like and get use out of rather than something that they politely pretend to like.

Playing an instrument can be an expensive hobby. This means when somebody offers to buy you a gift it can be a huge help, but only if they find something you like or that is useful. If you really feel like you don’t know the first thing about piano then feel free to ask.

Summary – Finding Gifts For Pianists

There are so many different gifts out there that could be perfect for pianists. As always when it comes to buying gifts, a bit of forethought is required. Work out what the person in question already has and what would be both useful and enjoyable for them to receive.

A quick look through some of the options on this list will probably give you all the inspiration you need. As soon as you see a suitable gift, you’re likely to instantly know it will work for your loved one. Hopefully, these gifts for pianists have given you enough options.

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