How to Move a Piano
How to Move a Piano. Pianos are a great musical instrument, inspiring centuries of classical musicians and giving way to a beautiful imagination. It’s not the same if you want to move one.
Before moving a piano yourself, keep in mind that it is a dangerous task and think about calling for help. It’s highly recommended to call a professional mover if you think you won’t be able to move the piano by yourself, despite that the removal service prices are not low for piano removals.
What you need to move a piano
If you have a grand piano, stop whatever you’re thinking of doing and call a removal company. Removals experts do not recommend amateurs to do any experiments with those. This guide is all about moving an upright piano. So, for the removal of a piano are needed:
- Tape;
- Work gloves;
- Plastic wrap (cloth can be used too);
- Heavy-duty dolly;
- Dolly straps;
- Weightlifting straps;
- Van ramp;
- Cardboard pads;
- Upper body strength of at least 4 people.
How to move an upright piano by yourself
Measuring the upright piano dimensions
Before doing anything else, start by measuring the piano’s size. You have to be 100% sure of the exact dimensions of your particular upright piano. This will help you to carefully plan the whole process of moving it. Normally, an upright piano has a height of 110 to 135cm, a width of about 150cm, and an approximate depth of 60cm. Mind that these dimensions vary, and yours are probably a little bit different. Though the average size is usually 125/150/60 cm.
Transporting your piano properly will help you cut down on moving costs because you will not have to pay professionals to do it for you.
Proceed with the moving process
- Measure and clear the path. Use tape or a rope to measure the door frames and make sure the piano can fit through them. Then clear the path from any obstructions, including carpets.
- Remove decorations, if any. A good thing about upright pianos is that they have a shape that’s not a pain to handle, unlike grand pianos.
- Wrap the piano. Firstly, wrap the lid over the keyboard with tape, just in case. This is done to ensure that the lid stays in place during the ride. For the rest of the instrument, you can either use a plastic wrap or a cloth that’s big enough to cover it completely. Secure the wrap with tape.
- Lift the piano on a dolly. For this, you will need to put on your work gloves and get help from friends. If you never thought about how heavy a piano is, the weight of an upright piano is around 130 kg. As a comparison, a grand piano can reach 500 kg. You need at least three strong pairs of arms for lifting an upright piano on the dolly (and at least six for a grand piano). While professionals use electronic devices to make it easy, safe and with minimal strain.
- Strap the piano securely with dolly straps.
- Push with the dolly.
- Use a ramp for the van. The piano should be both pulled and pushed in the van at the same time. Use the lifting straps for that and be very careful when standing behind it, the piano’s weight is big enough to crush you or at least cause a minor injury if you’re not careful enough.
- Secure the piano in the van. The piano should be placed against the back wall of the van with plenty of other stuff in front of it. You can secure it with furniture.
