How to Move a Piano? Step-By-Step Guide

Moving a piano is a strenuous and highly responsible task, not only given its bulk size and enormous weight but also considering its fragility. Beneath the hardwood, pianos have felt-covered, finely-tuned hammers and strings, pedals, keys, and plenty of other complex mechanisms not vivid to the naked eye. So, every step you take when moving these instruments must be well-thought and accurate.

For the sake of your nervous system integrity and the piano’s intactness, entrusting the task to professional piano movers is highly recommended. They have all the necessary tools and equipment, know how to plan a safe move considering the conditions, and have years of expertise. Reputable companies engaged in providing moving services nationwide constantly develop new techniques to ease the daunting task of this heavy and valuable musical instrument transportation.

Finally, relying on experts, you eventually spend less than you would if you undertook the transportation of the instrument yourself. You will have to buy or rent the required equipment, hire workers who charge by the hour and are not specialized in moving heavy but fragile goods, hire a truck, and rent a storage space if you need a temporary location for the piano.

Whether you are considering relying on experts or doing the tricky task yourself, you might be wondering how the process is to be carried out and what is necessary to have at hand.

Required Equipment for Moving Pianos

Depending on the type of piano to be moved, you will need different supplies. For instance, if you own an electric piano, the transportation can be fulfilled without special tools or a helping hand. But if it’s an upright or a grand piano, make sure you have the following supplies ready for the task:

• Moving blankets or thick towels (the more, the better);
• Packing tape;
• Dolly or hand truck since larger instruments require heavier-duty equipment;
• Packing plastic or cling-wrap to provide extra security;
• Lifting and tie-down straps for fixing the musical instrument in the truck;
• Work gloves with no sliding coating for the whole team of movers.

If you must disassemble the piano partially (some models allow removing legs and base) for more accessible transportation, you must also have a tool kit. Depending on the configuration of the musical instrument and the potential obstacles you will encounter during the move, casters for the piano’s legs might work better than a dolly.

Finally, a group of at least four well-built men must be engaged in the task. Otherwise, you risk injuring yourselves and damaging the instrument.

Preparing for the Move

Before disassembling the piano, professional movers carefully observe their route to deliver the instrument to the required destination. This includes the pickup and drop-off points with all nuances considered (the doorways, stairs, corners, elevators, etc., to be maneuvered) and the streets the truck will drive. Particularly, the more the vehicle jostles, the more the piano’s parts shift. So, if possible, picking up the smoothest road to the destination is more expedient.

 

Also, it’s recommended to protect all hard surface floors with coverings for additional insurance against accidents.

The disassembling of a piano is implemented in the following way:

1. The moving blankets or towels are laid out on the floor.
2. The piano’s lid must be closed and taped or latched to prevent it from opening during the move.
3. At least two moving staff members must carefully tip the instrument to one side.
4. Have the piano’s base and legs detached.
5. Wrap every individual part with a moving blanket and fasten it with tape.

If the musical instrument can’t be disassembled, wrap it entirely with moving blankets and snugly secure it with tape, tie-down straps, or cling-wrap. Most importantly, ensure that no piano section is protected and the coverings are well secured. This way, you will avoid having your valuable possessions scratched or damaged. Depending on how you will transport the piano, fasten the lifting straps in appropriate places.

The Piano Moving Process

Some movers use the technique of tipping a piano onto one side. On one side, this technique narrows some models’ profiles to help fit the piano through doorways. On the other hand, the instrument’s legs and base become more vulnerable.

When the piano is already in the moving vehicle, check the paddings to redo them if necessary. Load the instrument against a wall of a soft item if there’s any (a sofa or armchair will do), and tie it down with straps. It’s also possible to surround the piano with soft objects.

After reaching the destination, use teamwork to take it from the truck and position it upright. Unwrap the instrument, detach the parts, and wipe with a clean cloth. Once the piano is set up, you might need to have it tuned, too.

 

As you can assume, moving a piano is not a joke. According to Forbes, it requires much dedication and accurate planning, plenty of supplies, a team of strong workers able to raise an item weighing up to 1,500 lbs., and a truck. The unanimous recommendation for people who need to move their piano is to leave the job to professionals.