10 Great Gifts for Musicians | Dramel Notes

Holiday season is here and it’s time to finally work out what to get for those tricky musical geeks in the family.

Thankfully, you can stop fretting. These gifts will be useful and entertaining for all types of musicians.

For The Guitarist: Smartphone Support Stand

Almost every guitarist in every first world country has a smartphone and an app with a bunch of tabs on it. What’s really annoying is when you need to put your phone on the couch beside you while you play.

So, get rid of that little annoyance for your favorite guitarist by buying them a phone holder that clips on to their guitar. This device clips on at the bottom of the guitar, so it’s easy to read the phone, and they connect to almost any phone size and guitar type.

For Singers: iKlip Mic Stand Support for iPads and Tablets

If your singer ever uses a microphone stand (and they probably do), a tablet support that clips on to the stand is the perfect gift. Why? Lyrics. Lots of singers keep lyrics files and even sheet music on their tablets, and with tablets being backlit they’re perfect for reading lyrics in dark venues.

Even if the singer just uses it for rehearsals and not performances, this handy support will let them keep an occasional eye on the words they’re supposed to be singing. Genius!

For Electric Guitarists: Marshall Micro Amp

If your beloved guitarist loves electric guitar, they absolutely love a Marshall Micro Amp. This tiny 1 Watt amp looks exactly like a regular Marshall amp, but you can attach it to your belt or stick it in your pocket. This makes it absolutely ideal for teenagers and college students who might want to practice a little without waking up the neighborhood. You might also like to check out ways they can connect their guitar to their iPad.

For Pianists: Cashmere Keyboard Scarf

Your piano lover may not need a lot of gadgetry to make their lives easier, but since you probably can’t pay a teenager to be their permanent page turner, you may need to look for other options. In this case, a reminder of their musical passion to drape around their necks.

Not since Tom Baker’s Dr Who scarf has there been such a desirable geeky scarf. Get it!

For Drummers: Vater Drink Holder

If you’ve never watched a drummer in action for a long rehearsal or performance, you might not think of it as thirsty work. But trust me, it is. And while other musicians get the luxury of dropping out of songs occasionally, it’s really quite rare for the drummer to get a decent break.

So, these nifty cup holders that attach to the cymbal stand are absolutely perfect — and even if your drummer already has one they’ll be pleased they can now keep another drink on hand. Keep in mind that while there are dozens of alternative generic brands offering cup holders for stands, the Vater brand is known for drumming gear, and have built their cup holder to fasten to precisely the right size and with durability in mind.

For Musicians With Home Recording Studios: Shure Dynamic Microphone

There’s one thing singers work out pretty quickly and that is that every microphone is quite different and each one will be used for different purposes. As a gift buyer, this is great news, as it means even if your home studio enthusiast already has a microphone, this microphone has a place in their gear.

The Shure SM57 in particular is a small, durable microphone designed to isolate the main source and discard other sounds, so it’s perfect for both performances and recordings. In particular, this microphone is designed for vocals and drums. And you definitely can’t go wrong with Shure mics.

For Electronic Music Makers: Stylophone Retro Pocket Synth

Electronic music makers probably have most of the gear and electronic music software they want — and if they don’t have it, they’ll probably prefer to buy exactly what they’re coveting for themselves. So, it’s time to think about things they’ll be amused by and appreciate, but that won’t break the budget, like the Stylophone Retro Pocket Synth.

Yup, it’s cheap and it looks like a toy, but serious musicians have been rumored to use these (like Bowie and TMBG, apparently). You can plug an MP3 player into it and jam along with your favorite tunes, or you can actually use it to make fresh music that sounds a lot like old computer games.

For Choristers: Howard Goodall’s Enchanted Carols

If there’s one thing a chorister hates at Christmas, it’s terrible carols. So, surprise them with a CD of Christmas carols that doesn’t suck!

Howard Goodall is known for writing music for shows like Mr Bean, Blackadder and Red Dwarf, and he has won the British Composer of The Year award. His choral works are amazing, so if they haven’t already heard of him, you’ll be doing your favorite chorister a favor by introducing them to Howard Goodall. The Enchanted Carols CD in particular has some incredible re-works of a few carols, plus some more familiar, yet unique, arrangements of many popular carols.

(Note: the price you see below is crazily high as it’s for a new import. If you click through you’ll see it’s actually possible to buy it for a much more reasonable price)

For Orchestra Types: Circle Of Fifths Wall Clock

Every professional classical musician has studied the circle of fifths, and will appreciate the chance to remind themselves of this masterpiece of musical genius every time they need to know the time. This is essentially the periodic table of musicianship.

Now, there’s a whole bunch of different designs to choose from, but this particular model manages to clearly show all the important information, while still looking classy and not too fiddly. If you think your orchestra geek is more of a perfectionist, there are some other models available showing staves with the sharps and flats noted, but I’m sure most musicians would not require the added information.

For Musicians Who Have Everything: Drumstick Salad Spoons

If the musician already has everything they need to make music and more, then it’s time to look outside the box. And since everyone needs to eat, a set of musical salad spoons with drumstick ends is about as music-geeky as you’re going to get. They’ll be the talking point of every dinner party and give your favorite musician a great excuse to talk music with their guests.

What’s Your Favorite Musician Gift?

If you’ve been buying gifts for music lovers in your life over the years, maybe you’ve come across some more great ideas. What’s your go-to gift for musicians? Tell us!