Moving a piano is an undertaking best left to professional movers, since these large and unwieldy musical instruments often weigh between 300 to 1000 pounds, and cost ranging from a few to several thousands of dollars.
However, if you absolutely must move a piano by yourself, here are some helpful tips to help you not throw your back out:
To begin, ensure you have enough pads, space and people around available to help. Start by taking out the top of the piano to reduce the weight of the piece. Pack it carefully with a moving blanket.
As you fold the blanket, tape it to keep it folded as it will act as a buffer between the piano and the floor.
Pack the top of the piano properly with pads. Prepare a six-foot long piano board (enough for a baby grand piano).
Gently lift the piano and put the folded pad under the front leg. Start taking the leg off the piano.
Bring the piano board and put the piano on the side, maintaining the weight of the piece.
Make sure the piano is in place and remove the remaining legs. It is recommended to pack the legs in the box with pads or bubble-wrap, to avoid possible damages leading to monetary costs.
Strap the piano and make sure to secure and try to lift it a bit to see if it is well secured.
Bring a four-wheeler trolley for easier handling of the piano on the piano board. Lift the piano carefully by the straps attached to the piano board and make sure that the four-wheeler is located right under the piano board. Get some helping hands (at least three people) for more safety.
After moving your piano into your new house, you will need to re-assemble the legs and pedals and re-tune it. The physical stresses of moving a piano, especially if it is a grand piano, can create some adjustment and tuning issues since those musical instruments are sensitive to temperature and humidity. If your new location is warmer or cooler, it should not take more one day to equalize to the ambient temperature. The process of re-tuning needs to be performed by a skilled piano technician.
As you can see, moving a piano is not an easy undertaking and you really are better of leaving it to professionals. However, if this is not feasible for whatever reason, we hope that the tips above will go some way to easing the process.
