How To Move A Piano

How to Move a Piano

Though it’s not recommended to move a piano on your own, it is possible with time and plenty of commitment and care. Here’s how to make a plan to move a piano on your own without a professional moving team.

Step 1: Gather Equipment and Assistance

Moving a piano is a complicated process that requires prior planning. Be sure to gather the following components before attempting to move a piano.

Assistance

The first thing you need to consider when moving a piano is help. Every piano needs at least two people to relocate it across a room or house, let alone into a moving trailer or vehicle. Grab a friend (or two, if you’re moving a grand piano) so that they can help you make a tough job possible and slightly less cumbersome.

Piano dollies

Piano dollies are triangular wheeled moving aids that you’ve probably seen or used before to move other pieces of furniture. Each one has three wheels, one in each corner, and you’ll need at least four of these essential pieces of equipment.

There is another form of piano dolly that is rectangular and has four wheels. This type of dolly is much bigger, and you only need one to move a piano. It has rubber across its wooden supports to not scratch the piano. Both of these types of piano dollies work fine for moving an upright piano.

Piano skid board

If you’re moving a grand piano, which is significantly larger than an upright piano, this is a buffer between the instrument and the dolly, making moving the awkwardly shaped instrument easier. A piano skid board is simply a piece of plywood covered in padding, whether that be foam, rubber, or velvet. You strap the grand piano’s body to this skid board and then place the board on top of the larger rectangular piano dolly.

Ratchet straps or hump straps

Now that you’ve acquired the wheels and the platforms with which to move your piano and your extra sets of hands, you need straps to attach the upright or grand piano to the moving apparatuses. Ratchet straps are great because you can adjust the tightness, and none of that adjustment is based on individual strength or stamina—the straps do all the work for you. If you’re using a piano skid board or one of the larger piano dollies, ratchet straps are perfect.

Another type of strap you can use is called a hump strap. This can be used to hoist the piano onto the dollies you’re using. Hump straps essentially extend your arms’ reach—wrap them around your wrists, and they go under whatever furniture you’re moving, in this case, your piano. You can slip the hump straps under the wheels of the piano, and you and a friend can lift together to place the instrument on top of its dolly.

Pads or blankets

You definitely cannot forget the pads or blankets when moving a piano. Pianos have a shiny varnish on their exteriors—and the last thing you want to do is scratch up the finish during the move. Pianos also have delicate external pieces, like the keys and pedals, which must be padded to protect them during a move. Place moving pads or blankets between the straps and your piano and between the dollies so that nothing jostles or scratches the instrument during movement.

Self-protection in the form of a shoulder harness or lifting belt

If you wear a shoulder harness or a lifting belt, these items can help protect you from straining yourself when lifting heavy objects, especially if you don’t do this very often. These personal protective measures are not essential, but they may be a good idea to consider, especially because a grand piano can weigh upwards of 500 or 600 pounds, with the largest being double that weight.

Tape

Tape is the unsung hero of the entire piano-moving experience. How will you secure the padding over the keys and pedals? How will you ensure the triangular piano dollies stay secure during the move? How will you stick the padding to any protruding parts of the instrument? Tape is your essential friend. Make sure not to stick the tape directly onto the piano’s surface—the adhesive may affect the finish or leave a residue. You can wrap the tape around whatever padding you’re using.

Step 2: Measure Your New Space and Your Piano

Firstly, you need to measure how large the intended space for your piano is in your new place. Choose the room you want to place your piano in, and then get the room’s dimensions. You also need to measure your piano’s height, width, and length. You can then determine if the piano will fit where you want it to go or if you have to choose another area/room.

Step 3: Map Out and Clear the Path

Plan exactly how you’ll move your piano well before you begin the moving process to avoid damage or injuries. Once you know which room you’re setting it up in, make sure that the pathway from the entrance to the destination is completely clear of all items and that the footpath is maneuverable (minimal stairs, no sharp turns, or dangerous corners). Also, make sure that the origin point’s footpath is completely clear to the vehicle you’re placing the piano into. A thorough plan is a safe plan.

Step 4: Move the Piano

There are two main types of household pianos: upright and grand. If you’re moving an upright piano, first tape up all the external pieces we’ve mentioned, like keys, pedals, and corners, with padding. Then, use hump straps and your friends to lift the piano onto the piano dolly or dollies. Once the piano is taped or strapped to the dollies, you can slowly push it up a ramp into the moving vehicle, where you can further strap it down and pad it to avoid damage during the move.

If you’re moving a larger piano like a baby grand, you need to add a few extra steps for this process. Firstly, put the lid down and ensure that the strap is closed tight. You can then remove the piano’s legs and pedals. Since these are loose pieces, you can wrap them in padding or blankets and box them up.

Now, pad and tape up the same external pieces, including the lid. Tilt the piano (with your helpers) onto the piano skid board. You can then either lift the board and the baby grand onto a truck or load that onto a piano dolly to slowly and carefully roll it into the moving vehicle. Of course, the piano will then require reassembly at your destination.

Step 5: Load and Secure the Piano

There are several ways you can load your instrument into its vehicle for relocation. You can strap it to a piano skid board and carefully lift that into the vehicle. You can also use dollies to roll your piano into the vehicle. If you use dollies, remove the piano from the dollies after loading it onto the vehicle. Pad the surface the piano is resting on and secure the piano from sliding around during transport. Make sure nothing will move or slide or bump against anything else.

Step 6: Retune the Piano After Arrival

Many people may not think of this at first, but it’s always a great idea to get your piano retuned after a move. All the lifting, driving, and potential jostling affects the strings and sound. However, don’t be in a hurry to do this. Experts say you should wait three weeks to even a month before you retune after a move. This is to give time for the piano strings to settle. They need to adjust to temperature, humidity, and other environmental variations in your new home before undergoing tuning (otherwise, the strings can snap).