Top 10: Best Christmas Gifts for Piano Players

Finding the right Christmas gift for a piano player can be hard, I mean, can you really give them another piano key tie? Socks with piano keys on? Any conceivable item of clothing with piano keys on? No! That’s where we come in. We see all sorts of different musicians every single day so we know what they want (what they really really want). That’s why we’ve compiled this list of Christmas gift ideas for piano players that will hopefully make the morning of the 25th that bit brighter for everyone.

Here are 10 sure fire hits for piano players this Christmas.

Piano Stool

If they’re a keen player, they’re going to be spending a lot of time with their bum parked on the piano stool, so it needs to comfy. And, the piano is such a beautiful instrument that to put a ragged old stool next to it wouldn’t do it justice. We’ve plenty of different ones to choose from including branded Yamaha and Roland stools. Want a stool that can store your sheet music in? Check out the Stagg PB55. Want to get a new piano stool for the piano teacher in your life? Then the Stagg double stool will fit both teacher and student comfortably. If you really want to impress, take a look at the concert hall style piano stool.

Korg Monotron

A bit of a novelty gift for piano players. It’s a mini synthesizer – pocket sized and battery powered so it’s portable. It’s not quite what you’d practice your Tchaikovsky or Brahms on but it’s a neat little thing that will keep them entertained whilst they’re waiting for Christmas dinner. If they’re into recording, they can use it to add texture and rhythm to their own tracks too.

USB to MIDI Cable

This turns your electronic keyboard or piano into a USB-MIDI controller. This means that you can use it to control inbuilt virtual instruments in your PC or Mac. Many recording software programmes, or digital audio workstations (DAWs), now have virtual instruments within them and with this cable you can use your existing keyboard to control them and get a massive range of sounds. If they have an iPad, it will work too (though will require the separate USB adaptor). You just need to make sure their keyboard has a MIDI in/out on the back, which looks like…

USB MIDI Controller Keyboard

If it turns out the keyboard they have doesn’t have MIDI connection, fear not. You can still access all those virtual instruments in your computer by using a USB MIDI keyboard. This keyboard makes no noise on its own – only when you plug into a computer, Mac or iPad (using the separate connector). They come in different sizes, some are small with about 25 keys and are quite portable and others are bigger with 49 or more keys. The Novation Launchkey is a really good range, plus they look really cool!

Really Easy Piano Books

These books are great as they’re full of popular tunes that encourage playing for fun. It’s all well and good learning all the exam pieces but these books can help keep someone interested in playing and so make for a nice stocking filler Christmas gift for piano players. They’re aimed at players who aren’t too advanced; probably within the first few grades. The range includes Adele, Taylor Swift, Les Mis, Gershwin, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and many more!

Headphones

Obviously not compatible with an acoustic piano (unless it’s a Yamaha Silent Piano), this is more a Christmas gift for piano players that use either a digital piano, keyboard or digital stage piano. Using a decent set of headphones when practicing can help you get the most out of your instrument which in turn, makes you want to play more, and everybody knows that practice makes perfect! Roland make some really good headphones that are specifically designed to give you a really good piano sound, in particular the RHA-7 headphones.

Metronome

This is an essential bit of kit for any musician. Keeping in time is one of the most important parts of playing any kind of music and a metronome helps you do just that. There are two types of metronome; digital and traditional. A digital metronome can be handy as they’re more portable, usually pocket sized but you do miss out on the visual advantages of a traditional one. The swinging of the pendulum not only makes a noise but watching it move can help a player keep time. Plus they look really nice and you can match the finish of your metronome to that of the piano. A metronome is a must-have in any music room and so makes for a great Christmas gift for a piano player, or any other serious musician.

Keyboard Carry Bag

One for the stage piano and keyboard guys. If the pianist in your life is carrying about their instrument regularly then a carry bag or case isn’t just a good Christmas gift, it’s a necessity! The Stagg keyboard carry bag range offers protection for their keyboard at a good price, simply check the dimensions of the instrument and check it off against the dimensions of the case. If you want give them the ultimate keyboard protection this Christmas then have a look at the Stagg lightweight keyboard case – ideal for touring or constant gigging.

Keyboard

Perhaps you’re buying a Christmas gift for someone that wants to become a piano or keyboard player? A keyboard could be the best way to introduce someone into the world of music. Or perhaps a player with an acoustic piano wants something little more portable they can can play for a bit of fun. They start off at well under £100 with the Yamaha PRS-F50; a basic keyboard that gives you different sounds and rhythms. Further up in the range is the Yamaha PSR-E353; it’s got more sounds plus the keys are touch sensitive so, the harder you press, the louder the note will sound – ideal for someone who wants to get to grips or is already familiar with how an acoustic piano reacts. A keyboard is a great Christmas gift for a piano player after something a bit different and a bit more informal, or for someone who wants to enter the world of music.

Digital Piano

One of the best Christmas gifts for piano players is a digital piano. Perhaps a loved one is learning on a keyboard at home and is going to piano lessons to then play on an acoustic piano? A digital piano bridges that gap as it sounds, reacts and feels very similar to an acoustic piano. Having one in the house can be a fantastic opportunity for the family, it can inspire so much creativity and even bring everyone together. There are plenty of different options with regards to digital pianos and if you would like more information then have a look at our articles on the best digital and stage pianos under £500 and best digital pianos under £1000.