Struggling to find the perfect Christmas gift for a piano player? Piano players often know their instrument (and taste in music) so much better than anyone else possibly could. Chances are, you might not get it right and buy something they either already own or don’t need at all. But don’t worry – we are here to help you to find the best Christmas gift for any piano player.
So what constitutes a perfect gift for piano players?
One thing before we show you our selection of gifts: Notice that we haven’t called this article “Some Random Piano Gifts”. There is a reason for that. We have really looked far and wide to find the best piano Christmas gifts. Of course, occasions differ, and the best gift for one person might not be the best gift for another, so we had to apply a whole spectrum of criteria, like overall versatility, value for money, excellent experiences, ratings in our worldwide piano community, foolproof-ness, and yes, fun. Have a look!
The music is important. The season is important.
Aretha Franklin
No. 1 Overall Versatility and Simply the Best: Our OKTAV Gift Card
This little card gives piano players access to over 20,000 pieces of sheet music and piano method books across all genres and difficulty levels. It is a bit like Spotify, only for sheet music. Have you ever tried buying sheet music for a piano player? It is really hard, you have to know things like
- what genre they like best,
- how well they really play, and
- what they already own.
With the OKTAV gift card, you don’t have to worry about any of this. Piano players just
- log in,
- choose the genres they like,
- select a level that suits their piano skills, and
- discover more customized song recommendations than they could ever play during one lifetime! From beginners to virtuosos!
There are also extra features, like videos and printouts, to keep any piano player going for the 3 or 12 months the gift access lasts. Also, if you are looking for a last-minute gift, OKTAV will save the day – just write to us, and we’ll e-mail you a prettily layouted code that you can print and hand over in a matter of minutes! Three additional advantages:
- OKTAV gift cards are made of biodegradable material (not plastic).
- The OKTAV gift card subscription ends automatically – no hidden future costs.
- OKTAV cards fit into any gift bag or stocking.
No 2 Budget-Friendly: OKTAV Piano Wear
These shirts are the perfect gift if you’re not sure what to give to a person because you don’t know them very well, but you DO know they play the piano, plus they have a sense of humor.
& Combine them Piano Shoes
We admit that perhaps those pieces are a bit much. But they combine nicely with one of our piano shirts
No. 3 for Absolute Beginners: Prep That Piano!
Once you have trained yourself to see the C on the piano you can’t unsee it (say that out loud to grasp the full beauty of this sentence!). But beginners may be happy to have something to help them see which key is which. These stickers will help. And they can be removed without a trace, which is so much better than labeling the keys with an editing pen.
If you are opposed to the thought of sticking anything onto piano keys, you could wrap this chart up nicely.
No. 4 Playful & Cute: LEGO Grand Piano
Make no mistake – this adorable little Grand Piano by LEGO is NOT a toy for little children, it is already on the way to becoming a valuable collector’s item, and has just recently won the “Toy of the Year 2021” award by the toy association. Its 25 tiny keys all come with their own string and hammer. The seat is height-adjustable, and the cutest little orange tuning tool is included. Make it sound by downloading the app, putting your phone onto it, and connecting it via Bluetooth.
No. 5 Useful Tech: A Sound Recorder
Pianists need to record themselves if they want to get better. Now, if your friend or significant person has forever been wrestling with their mobile for that purpose, they will certainly be happy if they find the ZOOM H2n in their stockings. This is a tiny hand-held sound recorder that packs a punch for its price.
Its high-quality microphones are adjustable (stereo, surround, …), you can choose to record in various qualities, and adjust recording levels. It comes with its own downloadable audio software. Whatever you record goes onto an SD card. You can just stick that into your laptop and drag your sound files onto your computer to cut and mix.
No. 6 Stylish: Posh Metronomes
Don`t call these two noble metronomes “click-tracks”, they are refined rulers of rhythm and timing! Metronomes are an essential part of practice and rehearsal, and yes, there are cheaper options than the ones we picked for our list. But Santa would only give the very best, wouldn’t he?
The Wittner Metronome 816 is the goth of its kind – it will sit on your piano or shelf looking elegant in its black-and-silver beauty (other wood colors are available!). One feature Santa likes a lot is its little bell that rings on every first beat.
The Soundbrenner Core Steel is ideal if you live in the same household as the prospective piano-playing metronome user and hate having to listen to the obnoxious click-clack during practice. This one looks like a wristwatch, but sends out powerful vibrations on each beat! Of course, there’s the Soundbrenner metronome app to go with it, with a ton of useful features including a tapping pad.
No. 7 Best Little Helper: A Page Turner
At OKTAV, we really like the iRig Blueturn to turn sheet music pages. If you are not a pianist, you probably don’t know how annoying it is to not be able to turn your own page. Trust us, modern-day musicians, especially if they use OKTAV, love to rely on Bluetooth pedals. It works with their iPhone, Ipad, Mac, and Android device. They can use it as a foot pedal, or install it on the piano to use as a hand switch
No. 8 Longterm Investment: A New Tablet With a Large Display
Piano players love tablets for a variety of reasons. They can read their OKTAV sheet music, add their own annotation, they can listen to, record, and edit music – and share it with their friends. The Apple iPad Pro with its 12.9-inch screen is an excellent device that lots of our users use (or a similar tablet with a large display). And it fits through a chimney!
No. 9 No-Nonsense Practical: Piano Dust Cover
Piano players want their music to always sound fresh, not dusty. So they need to protect their instrument by making sure dust cannot settle between the keys. Acoustic pianos come with a protective sheet in addition to the flap that closes over the keyboard, but secondhand pianos or stage pianos need protection, too. Of course, you can start sewing something yourself and perhaps personalize it, if you know how to. Or you could just buy a dust cover like this one.
No. 10 Weird & Funny: Playable Piano Bathroom Rug
This one is so freaky we just had to include it in our list – you decide whether the piano player you want to buy a present for is someone with a secret desire to play music with his or her feet while sitting on the bog. We know we have a few piano-playing friends who would love this sort of thing! But then, we have odd friends. Oh, and before we forget – this is probably the only bathroom rug that comes with its very own songbook. You can actually produce sounds with this.
Whatever you decide to buy for your piano playing friend or family, keep in mind that glowing eyes matter, not size or expense! When choosing a gift, bear in mind that big is not always better. Every gift takes up some space – preferably in the receiver’s heart, but often also in his or her living space. There are bulky gifts, like concert grand pianos you need to build an extension to your home to accommodate, and gifts that only need space in memory, like cards to a wonderful concert – your beloved will remember that for the rest of their life. Don’t make them moan “oh no, yet another thing to store somewhere”. Make their eyes glow! Make your gift matter!
OKTAV wishes you a very merry Christmas.
