As you can see from our last two posts on this topic, buying an instrument can be very tricky. Finding the right one can be hard because this is such a subjective thing. It’s not like buying someone a gadget that you know they want, like the latest and greatest apple watch, and knowing they will love it. You know they are into that one thing, and there is only one apple watch so it’s a sure thing. Musicians come with a web of different preferences, styles, abilities, levels, influences, and tastes. So the task of getting a musician in your life an instrument is much harder than most understand. Let’s say the musician in your life is a beginner or not experienced all so they are a blank canvas in terms of what they like. Well, then you have a different set of boxes to check. Where to buy, what price range, do you get used, do you get new or used, what brand is good, is it better to buy online or support local by purchasing from a local shop. The list goes on but it doesn’t make it easy no matter what. Well if buying an instrument seems too daunting of a task or if you are just looking for an alternative gift to give we have a few ideas for you in this post.
Music
Musicians love music, they play it, listen to it, talk about it, read about it, watch it, even debate about it. So any easy gift option is anything related to music. It’s easy to figure out what kind of music styles or genres your friend or loved one likes and then you can pick something from that category. If you want to surprise them just ask them if they can recommend some music to listen to or just point blank ask them what they have been into lately. This way you don’t give away any hints to spoil the surprise. Concert tickets are always a great gift. They might have the albums of the artist but live music is always a great way to give a gift that is a lasting memory and experience. If they are readers another option would be a book from the genre they like or about an artist they like. Another great item, if they do listen to vinyl records is some records that they might like. Digital copies of albums are also very easy to gift nowadays but always welcome if you know that person doesn’t already have that album.
Accessories
You might not be in the market for a full blow instrument as a gift but musicians use all types of accessories and additional items to make music outside of or in addition to their instrument. For drummers, this can be drums sticks and drumheads. Both break or get old and need replacing and a solid gift for a drummer would be a brick of sticks or a set of drumheads. For guitar or string instruments maybe a set of strings would be great to gift or a full instrument tune-up from a local shop in your area that does that sort of thing. All Instruments need regular adjustments and do have parts that go out or need to be maintained or updated. So this is actually a very useful and welcome gift. Strings, sticks, or drumheads, or accessories are a very key part and it’s important to get the right ones. Different models and types yield different sounds, textures, and performance, so getting that right is just as important as buying an instrument. If you are playing a bit of a guessing game because you want it to be a surprise, make sure you keep the gift receipt so they can exchange for a different model in case you didn’t quite nail it.
Audio and Video
If you think they have what they need for their instrument but still want to get them something they can use to further progress their career as the start they are set out to be? Then maybe getting them tools that they can use to record themselves. There are a lot of options out there to consider when it comes to audio recorders or tools. A great all-around mic or a few mics, if they are into recording themselves, is a great thing to buy. If they don’t have anything like that maybe get them a little recording bundle that they can use to get started. Another part fo the recording process is software. So maybe getting them recording software or plugins that they could use would be another awesome gift. Some options can be Protools, Logic Pro, or Ableton. Another option to get them some video recording accessories. In this day and age, almost every musician has a GoPro or some other type of video device to shoot clips of their practice, shows, or other content that they use for personal or public use.
Educational
This is a topic that is very near and dear to us for obvious reasons. That said all musicians feel the same way about education. We all learn and continue to learn, at least all the good ones do. Learning comes in a variety of ways and is different for every musician but I don’t know any musicians that don’t constantly try to learn more, get better, get more creative, etc. That is why gifting something educational is always a great idea. If the person is a beginner getting them a gift card for lessons is always great, but even intermediate and advanced musicians take lessons. The only tricky part with advanced musicians is they are seeking more specialized instruction or education as they are already well on their musical journey. So for them, maybe educational videos, books, courses, or online subscriptions would be a better fit than just a gift card at a lessons facility. Although, judging from our own staff, many local schools have some incredible, very advanced and specialized instructors that teach locally so don’t overlook getting a gift card to a music school or academy even for an advanced musician.
Summary
The options laid out here are vast. Some are great last min gifts, some are great stocking stuffers, some are great for people that live far away and you don’t want to pay for shipping and some, are just amazing gifts that we think a majority of musicians would love to get. The task now is deciding and figuring out what gift will be best for your friend or loved one. If you need some additional help or advice, feel free to contact us and we will gladly give you some feedback on what gift would be best.
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