Posted on 12/03/2015 6:40:42 PM PST by Squawk 8888
'Tis the season to be jolly, as the Christmas carol goes. For some this is a jolly good time to show your family and friends how much they mean to you with a selection of thoughtful gifts. For others it’s a chance to drop subtle hints about that new gear that they’ve been saving up for to make their job, hobby or interest that little bit easier. If your loved one is a fan of all things musical, there is a huge range of music themed gift ideas to help make for the perfect Christmas this year. If you’re struggling through the quagmire of amps, tuners, gig bags and song sheets to find the perfect gift, we’re here to point you in the direction. If you’re still struggling to pick a gift after this then it might be worth checking out this fun gift generator.
Fusion make a range of gig bags for a massive range of instruments. While they aren’t necessarily the cheapest bags in the world, they’re known worldwide for their unbeatable quality and subtle style. These bags have been featured in a range of magazines in a number of countries, and are used by a whole host of famous, professional musicians. If you’re looking to splash out on your family or friend, this could be a thoughtful way of doing just that.
While being able to stop and tune your guitar by ear is a skill that every guitarist needs, it’s not exactly the most efficient way of getting ready for the stage. A Polytune tuner, on the other hand, is capable of checking all 6 of your strings at once, letting you know very quickly (and accurately) whether or not your guitar is in tune. You can pick up one of these high quality tuners for under £50 (100 CAN), and they’re well worth getting hold of.
Sure, it may seem like a great joke gift that you can get on the cheap, but the harmonica actually requires a fair amount of skill if you want to play it properly. Just be aware that all joke gifts come at a price – in this case it’s the price of listening to your brother/sister/nephew/whoever practice for the first time.
Just because you’re a music lover doesn’t mean that you walk around with your instrument in hand, all day every day. Every now and again you need to kick back and listen to your favourite tracks and unwind – unfortunately not all places are suitable for this, as every travelling musician knows. We’re looking at you, London Underground. A good pair of noise-cancelling headphones goes a long way towards helping you listen to the music you love, when you want to listen to it, without the distraction of a noisy train carriage.
Not all music comes from mainstream instruments. If Pink Floyd taught us anything, it’s that even a dog howling counts as music if you mix it right. Wine glasses have been long recognised for their ability to sing, but finding the right note comes from using the right size glass with the right volume of liquid. If you’re looking to cut the experimentation down to an absolute minimum, a set of musical wine glasses which are designed to produce pitch-perfect notes can lead to an easy way to make a different yet easily-recognisable sound.
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My parents gave me a Hohner Blues Harp Harmonica in the mid 1970s. I still have it. Finally figured out the system of notes in 1999. First tune I successfully played was “Nearer My God To Thee”. From there, the gates opened wide. I give them as gifts every so often. I did that once with a Chinese friend of similar age to myself. He was a little shaken when he opened the package because he recalled seeing one in a store window when he was a child and how his parents simply couldn’t afford one for him. It’s also my go to when giving anonymous gifts at charity events.
A gift certificate to larkinthemorning.com
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