Pianos have 88 keys and are made up of 10,000 moving parts; this makes them easy to break when moving. To ensure the safety of your piano, you must be very delicate with it during the moving process.

A step-by-step guide to moving a piano

Step 1:

The first step in moving a piano is ensuring you have the appropriate equipment. You will need the following:

• A piano dolly(or a dolly a bit bigger than the size of your piano)
• Straps for moving the piano
• Blankets are to place underneath the piano to prevent any scratches
• Shoulder harness or lifting belt(to help your body pick up the piano)

Step 2:

The next step is measuring the piano and the space you want to put it. This ensures you don’t start moving the piano and realize you don’t have room for it. Mapping out your carrying route is vital to ensure the piano will fit the spaces between doors and furniture.

Step 3:

The next step is the transport of the piano. The best vehicle to use is a truck that has a lift for heavy items, as pianos are extremely heavy, and it is advised that you don’t directly pick up the piano unless you have several people picking it up.

Once the piano is in transit, ensure it doesn’t move around, bump up against other furniture, or tip over. If the piano falls over, there is a high likelihood that many of the 10,000 moving parts inside will break. Any piano should be tied down in the truck or vehicle it’s been moving in to minimize the risk.

If you do not have access to a moving truck with a lift, it is advisable to use a ramp to lift the piano into your vehicle. Smith Dray Line is proud to provide residential and commercial moving and storage services.

Step 4:

When you arrive at the new piano’s home, put the piano back onto its dolly and map how you’ll move the piano through any rooms you have to go through. If you are lifting the piano stairs, you must use the shoulder brace or moving belts to use your whole body to move the piano. When moving a piano upstairs, you can lay thick blankets on the stairs to help slide it up.

It is vital to remember that pianos are very heavy and that you must try not to have raw strength lifting the piano unless there’s no other option. Even in this situation, ensure everyone’s safety by having a few people lift from each side. If you’re going upstairs, you will need four people rising from the lower side and two on the lighter side.

Step 5:

After the piano is in place, it will likely be out of tune from the moving process. If you need to retune it, it is advisable to have a professional retune your piano because if any of the 88 keys snap during the retuning, it can be fatal if you’re hit by one.

Conclusion

The process of moving a piano can seem daunting. Just keep it simple, follow the laid-out steps, and ensure everyone involved in the move knows how to lift correctly. Piano dollys are your best friend in moving a piano anywhere and should be used as much as possible to help lessen the strain on your body. At Smith Dray Line, we can help plan your move affordably and safely, just as we’ve saved millions of others.