Most musicians are pretty easy to buy for but if you aren't a musician yourself, it may be a bit more challenging to figure out what a musician really wants; especially if you want to avoid the hokey items like bowls made of a melted LP and budget-busting instruments.
I've gathered a list of Christmas gift ideas for a musician under $50 based on things I'd like to receive and asking my band mates what they want. These recommendations will get you started.
GIFT IDEAS FOR GUITARISTS (INCLUDING BASS GUITAR)
A clip on guitar tuner is always a good gift for any guitar, bass, violin or ukulele player. They likely already have one, but they also likely have a cheap one which is known to break easily. I recommend the SpeedPro by MAC Music Accessories. It's the only tuner that comes with a free three year guarantee, so they won't need to replace their tuner ever again. They cost $25.99 on Amazon and come with free shipping.
A guitar slide is an accessory used to make a certain sound with the guitar. It can replace the guitar pick or it can be used in addition to the pick. Playing slide is a fairly advanced technique so I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner, but it's a great gift for a more advanced guitar player. The slide is used primarily in country, blues and southern rock music. The slide itself is usually made of either metal or glass and typically runs between $5 - $15.
Guitar picks are always a good idea. Guitarists go through them like crazy. They leave them in their pockets, at the local music store, in the venue and even throw them out to the crowd. But custom guitar picks make a great gift idea. Put the musician's autograph on the picks. Or her image. Or the band name or logo. Picks can be customized in so many ways. Depending on where you get them, expect to spend $25-$50.
Or how about a pick maker? Why buy picks when you can make your own? The Pick-a-Palooza is my favorite because it cuts very clean, smooth edges. $26.95 on Amazon.
GIFT IDEAS FOR DRUMMERS
Other than the drums themselves the most expensive item for drummers are the cymbals. Over time they crack and need to be replaced. And there are so many different cymbals that produce different sounds that many drummers just stick to a high-hat and two more cymbals of their preference. But there are a few cymbals under $50, including the China, Crash or Splash.
 |
| Check today's price |
Another great addition to a drummer's kit is the cowbell. Even though cowbell's have been the butt of many jokes, the cowbell really is a legitimate musical instrument. Some of the more famous songs with cowbell include "Honky Tonk Woman" by the Rolling Stones, "Don't Fear the Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult, "Fool for the City" by Foghat and Led Zeppelin's "Moby Dick." A good cowbell will cost you around $35.Drum heads are also great gifts. You'll need to know what size heads your drummer currently uses as the heads are sized to fit a specific drum. Drum heads are identified in inches. For example a bass drum head may be 18" or 20". Remo and Evans are the most popular brands. You can buy packs of drum heads or one at a time. The individual heads are better quality and most are under $50.
If you've ever seen a drummer drop a stick and have to bend over to the floor and pick it up while trying to keep the beat you'll understand the value of having a drum stick holder. The drum stick holder is like a cup that clips on to a drummer's kit and holds several sticks. This way if a stick breaks or the drummer drops a stick, he can easily grab another one. Expect to spend around $30 for a good one.
GIFT IDEAS FOR KEYBOARD PLAYERS
There aren't as many accessories to choose from for keyboard players and even fewer for piano players. Having said that, we've found some for you; from the mouths of keyboard and piano players themselves.
A sustain pedal is a great gift for a keyboard player. It helps the note ring out longer and enables him to play both lead and rhythm at the same time. You can get one for as little as $15 but I would encourage you to take a step up into the $20-$25 range. The less expensive ones are made of plastic which breaks easily.
Since most keyboard players don't put their keyboard away (like a guitarist putting a guitar into a case) it's important to cover the keyboard to keep dust from embedding between the keys. If you're keyboardist is like ours, he covers his keyboard with clothes! But if your keyboardist is more tidy than ours a keyboard cover is great. Most are made of stretch material and are easy to put on and easy to take off. Just be sure you get the cover for the right amount of keys in your musician's keyboard. Expect to pay about $25.
 |
| Click for the lowest price on Amazon. |
When playing live it's always nice to be able to have a drink of water (or something else) but you can't put a drink on the keyboard itself. A handy set up to solve this problem is a microphone stand with a cup holder that can placed right next to the keyboard. Most clubs will have the microphone stand already there so you can get your keyboardist the cup holder. When they open it, they might be a bit confused since a keyboardist doesn't use a microphone so you may need to share the suggestion of putting the microphone stand next to the keyboard. (Think how smart you'll appear!) The microphone stand drink holder can be found for $10-$15.Is your keyboard player also a vocalist? If so, rather than standing a microphone stand next to the keyboard, get him a keyboard stand microphone attachment bar. For less than $15 he can have the microphone wherever it's most comfortable for him.
GIFT IDEA FOR ALL MUSICIANS
Remind the musician in your life about how much you care for them every month with a subscription to a music-based magazine. There are many guitar magazines. There are also drum magazines, bass magazines, keyboard magazines. Or a broader-based music magazine like Rolling Stone or Spin. An annual subscription to any of these magazines will cost about $15.00.
That's a baker's dozen Christmas Gift Ideas for a Musician. If one of these isn't the exact item you're looking for, we hope we've at least got your creative juices flowing to help you find the perfect Christmas gift for the musician in your life.
