Black Friday gifts for violinists

The holiday season and Black Friday are upon us (did this year fly by for anyone else?!) and you may be looking to spoil the violinist in your life (or yourself!) with some well-deserved gifts. Here are my top recommendations for Black Friday gifts for violinists of all ages and ability levels.

A new violin

This would be an incredible gift for the violinist in your life if they are looking to upgrade their instrument. In my opinion, you cannot go wrong with any violin from Fiddlershop, but I recommend the Concert Violin Outfit because it is affordable and high quality. They not only make great quality violins but also have amazing customer service. Two of my private students bought violins from them that were damaged (both freak accidents, no fault of the company), and Fiddlershop replaced them, no questions asked.

An electric or silent violin

Electric violins are a genre of their own. They’re louder and sturdier than acoustics, they can have more strings, and they can create a wider variety of sounds that fit into different genres of music besides classical and folk. An electric violin would be an amazing gift for any violinist on your list. I recommend this NS Design 5 String Violin.

If the violinist in your life travels frequently, has finicky neighbors, or prefers to practice late at night or early in the morning, consider gifting them a Silent Violin, like this Yamaha SV-200. The benefit of silent violins is that they produce a very minimal sound and can only be heard clearly through headphones, making them ideal for those who prefer to not be heard while practicing.

Strings

Strings are a very personal choice, so if you are gifting them to the violinist in your life, I recommend asking them which strings they prefer. I personally use Peter Infeld strings; I love how bright and clear they are. However, I also have used Evah Pirrazi’s in the past, which are ideal for warmer or darker instruments. Dominant Strings are a great middle-of-the-road option, both in sound quality and in price.

Rosin

Rosin helps the bow hair stick to the string and thus has a great impact on the sound. A super affordable option that I used for many, many years is Bernardel Rosin. I never ran out of this rosin, I only had to stop using it because I dropped it and it broke! Currently, I use Leatherwood Rosin, which is definitely more expensive but worth every penny.

Music Stand

Every musician needs a music stand! If the violinist in your life plays a lot of gigs or with an ensemble, consider this folding music stand. It’s lightweight, easy to travel with, and easy to put together. Additionally, many violinists prefer to keep their instruments out rather than in the case to help encourage them to practice. This violin stand is the perfect place to store the instrument when not in use.

Tuner/Metronome

My personal favorite is this Korg TM-60 tuner/metronome combo, but Doctor Beat is by far the best metronome on the market (although pricey).

Practice Journal

A practice journal is an important tool for every musician. Practice journals help you plan out your practice sessions, keep a log of your goals and progress, store your lesson notes, track your 100 days of practice, and more. My Musician’s Practice Planner is completely digital and therefore totally customizable-print as many or as few of each page as your heart desires! This practice journal is usually $9.97, but it will be 25% off on Black Friday.

A Learn Violin Online Membership

Learn Violin Online includes 7 digital courses, access to an exclusive community, and video feedback from a highly trained musician (me!) when you join at the Gold Level. LVO offers flexibility while still providing members with a clear plan to follow and the support and accountability they need to truly make progress. Both the Bronze and Gold memberships will be discounted from their already low prices for Black Friday.

What are you getting for yourself or the violinist in your life this Black Friday? Leave a comment and let me know!