Playing piano is a difficult, time consuming but ultimately rewarding hobby or, for a select few, career. Finding the best gift for the pianist in your life can be difficult, especially if you don’t know much about pianos or piano playing yourself. We spoke to a handful of pianists and piano teachers and did hours of research on what its like to be a pianist and what sorts of gifts piano players would appreciate the most. Whether you’re shopping for Christmas gifts or birthday gifts our expert vetted list has some of the best gifts for piano players!
Table of Contents
1) Metronomes
Of all the piano teachers we spoke to, they all unanimously agreed one of the best piano gifts you could get a would be a metronome. As you may remember from music class, a metronome helps musicians stay on beat, maintain tempo and play songs accurately. It is a crucial device for any pianist, whether they are an amateur or professional. Steven Moyer, a piano teacher with City Strings said “if [my metronome] were to disappear, I would be thoroughly distraught….”
There are many metronomes you can purchase on Amazon – to varying degrees of quality. When searching for one for the piano enthusiast in your life, there are a few options to be aware of – mechanical, quartz and digital metronomes. Each have distinct advantages and disadvantages and often comes down to preference which one a pianist prefers.
Best Mechanical Metronome
This simple, oak colored metronome is amongst the most well reviewed and purchased metronomes on Amazon. You are unlikely to go wrong purchasing as a birthday or Christmas gift for the aspiring pianist in your life.
Best Quartz Metronome
According to Rolling Stone Magazine, the Seiko SQ50-V is the best quartz metronome on the market.
Best Digital Metronome
After extensive testing, Music Radar found the Boss DB-90 to be the best digital metronome available.
2) Piano Tuner Kit
When asked, Stephen Moyer said another must have item for any pianist is a tuning kit. Owning a piano is a huge investment, but it’s important to keep it in tune so that you can enjoy the beautiful sound it produces. A piano that isn’t tuned properly can sound harsh, which can ruin the experience of playing or listening to music on it.
Best Piano Tuning Kit
UMsky professional piano tuner is the perfect solution for keeping your piano in tune. With this 16-piece tuning kit, you will have everything you need to accurately tune your piano yourself, without having to hire a professional tuner.
A tuning kit can save a piano player a lot of money by not needing to call a professional every time a Piano is out of tune.
Other Gift Ideas that Go Well with a Tuning Kit
If you are getting a tuning kit for the pianist in your life, you may also want to consider getting them these complementary items that will make piano tuning a whole lot easier.
If you’re shopping for a newer to intermediate piano player, a guide on how to tune the piano will be a must. Tuning the piano incorrectly can lead to further sound issues and problems down the line, so having good instruction is a must. An electronic tuner is also a perfect gift since it will make the tuning process and lot faster and smoother.
3) iPad or Tablet (for sheet music)
Two thirds of the experts we spoke to said that a iPad is another excellent gift for piano enthusiasts. Jenna, one of the piano teachers we interviewed, said that an iPad is a must for reading sheet music. It is much easier than carrying around books and sheets that can become messy and disorganized. Essentially you can’t go wrong getting a piano player an iPad. Where you should take notice is which type of iPad you are getting them. You may also be concerned with cost.
Best iPad Option for Sheet Music
Amazon sells fully functional, and like new refurbished iPads that will work great for the main purpose of reading sheet music. New iPads can go for well over $500 and we only recommend buying a fully new and recent model if you are buying one for general use. A refurbished model however is perfect if the main purpose is to read sheet music.
Best Alternatives to iPads
If you would prefer to get a brand new tablet, but still save on price there are plenty of great options available as well. These options don’t have the same processing power as an iPad but again, for the purpose of reading sheet music, still make a great gift idea.
Consider Getting a Bluetooth Pedal to Go with the iPad
One huge advantage of using an iPad for sheet music over paper is that you can turn the pages without needing to swipe or turn the page. That is possible through a Bluetooth pedal. Getting this pedal, in addition to the iPad, makes reading music while playing much easier. It was highly recommended by one of our experts as well.
4) Adjustable Piano Bench
Our expert Jenna agrees an adjustable piano bench would be another perfect gift for any piano player. More specifically, she said a hydraulic piano bench is the best since they adjust very quickly, making them perfect for performances and recitals. Standard benches are often too low or too high, which can make it hard to play correctly. They also tend to be uncomfortable and not very stable.
Best Hydraulic Piano Bench
The On-Stage KB9503B Height Adjustable Piano Bench is the perfect solution. It offers excellent stability, comfort, and convenience, and pairs perfectly with any piano or keyboard. The built-in hydraulic height adjustment makes it easy to adjust the bench to the perfect height, and the black gloss finished base looks great in any setting.
Alternative: Best Piano Stool
A cheaper alternative to a hydraulic bench is this adjustable stool. While it cant adjust as smoothly as the bench we recommend above, it is still stable and easily adjustable. It is well regarded by those who purchase it on Amazon.
5) Rechargeable Clip Lamp
Another thoughtful gift for a piano player is a rechargeable clip lamp. Our expert, Steven Moyer says that a rechargeable lamp is “great for gigs” and helps illuminate the area around the piano while playing. This is a great cheaper gift option if budget or scope of gift is limited.
6. Record Player + Vinyl Records
Practicing how to play music requires also hours of listening to music from some of the greats. Our expert Jenna said listening to vinyl records of his favorite pianists is a great way to become better at piano. A record player with some vinyl records of classical music is a thoughtful gift that can help inspire the aspiring pianist in your life.
Best Record Player
We recommend the Audio Technica LP-120 in our guide for best retirement gifts for men. The Audio-Technica LP-120 is a fully manual turntable with selectable variable playback speeds. It is easy to set up and not terrible expensive compared to many other turntables.
Best Vinyl Records for Piano Players
7) Headphones
Headphones are a wonderful gift that serve multiple useful purposes for pianists. Pianists can spend upwards of 4-5 hours practicing their craft per day, if any of that practice happens at home – it may be quite a nuisance. A good pair of headphones can connect to a digital piano and allow peaceful practice for hours on end. A good pair of headphones also makes it easier for learners to listen to musical pieces and understand the piano parts.
Best Headphones for Piano Players
After a lot of research, PianoDreamers.com found that the Sennheiser HD headphones were the best for piano players. According to their review, these headphones are super comfortable and provide audiophile quality sound.
8) A Digital Piano
The most expensive gift recommendation on our list is a digital piano for the home. A grand piano is usually too big and expensive for most people to have in their homes. A digital piano is a smaller alternative that still allows pianists to practice their craft in the comfort of their home, while still being *relatively* inexpensive (compared to a grand piano).
Best Digital Piano: Yamaha P71
From one of the most trusted instrument brands comes the Yamaha P71 electric piano. This model is one of the most highly rated and purchased pianos on Amazon. It is the perfect solution for any beginner or intermediate player. With 88 fully weighted piano keys and 10 different voices, this digital piano offers a realistic playing experience that will help you improve your skills quickly. Plus, its slim and stylish design takes up very little space and weighs only 25 pounds, making it easy to move around when needed.
Alternative Idea: Electronic Keyboard
For a slightly cheaper idea that takes up even less space is gifting a keyboard. This will still help achieve the purpose of being able to practice at home. The downsides being it won’t be able to simulate the sensation of sitting at a piano like a true digital piano can.
Alternative Idea: MIDI Keyboard
An even more compact option is a MIDI keyboard. For pianists who are also music producers or like recording, this is a wonderful gift. It barely takes up any space and can be taken anywhere. It connects directly into a laptop and has built in-speakers meaning you don’t need cumbersome external ones.
Best Gifts for Beginner Piano Players or Children
The piano gifts we list above are great for a beginner or expert as they are essential items for all pianists. There are also however, lots of great gift ideas geared toward younger players.
Here are some suggestions.
Color Piano, Keyboard and Piano Keys Stickers
With so many different keys, chords, and notes to remember, it’s no wonder that most people give up before they even get started.
Color Piano and Keyboard Stickers and Complete Color is here to help. This 52-page book contains 28 exercises of gradually increasing difficulty, as well as 11 popular children’s songs. Not only will it help children learn how to develop correct hand and finger techniques, but you’ll also learn the basics of reading sheet music. The color coded notes system makes memorizing notes easier than ever before!
Piano Book for Adult Beginners
Some learners are visual while others need to read to learn. The Piano Book for Adult Beginners is amongst the most popular Piano guide books. Written by Damon Ferrante, the book has helped thousands of people new to piano learn the ropes and become pianists.
What to Get Someone Who Loves Piano?
As you may be able to tell by now, there are plenty of gifts across all budgets that most pianists would be ecstatic to receive. Remember the most important rule of gift giving – it should be thoughtful, useful or sentimental. Giving the piano lover in your life a gift that helps them further master their craft will be seen as an appreciation for all the hard work they are putting in and your support of their journey.
