Maybe your family piano has been in the family for generations. Maybe you're in possession of a piano you wanted your children to play when they were little, but as they got older, it became clear that no one would play it at all. Maybe you're a concert pianist, and you use the piano every single day, practicing concertos and obscure musical pieces. Whatever your reason for having the piano you love it, and you're going to have to move it when you move to a new location. Moving a piano isn't as simple as moving a sofa, a refrigerator or a bookshelf.
A piano, in spite of its size, is a very delicate instrument. Instruments, especially those made of wood, are sensitive to movement, heat, condensation, and anything else in the atmosphere that may affect their sound and quality. If you have an electric piano, all you need to do is to cover it up with bubble wrap, disconnect it from the base, box it up into the original packaging or a special instrument box filled with packing peanuts and more bubble wrap and ship it off. Moving larger pianos is a big process that is a lot more complicated.
Safety Tips For Moving A Piano
One of the most important considerations for moving a piano is safety. Pianos are huge, with the smallest of them weighing about 500 pounds. The last thing you want is to move a piano without planning, a situation that can end up with someone getting hurt. There are several different types of pianos, and the rules for moving each of them will differ. Ultimately, you want to make sure that you, your movers, and your piano arrived safely at your new destination.
Simple well thought-out and strategic safety tips can make all the difference when it comes to safety and moving a piano.
Following are just a few pointers to keep in mind:
What To Do Before The Move
There are several things you want to do before moving a piano.
How To Move Different Kinds Of Pianos
There are many different types of pianos. There are uprights, baby Grands, spindles, church organs, electric pianos... the list goes on and on. Each type of piano needs to be moved in a specific way. What works for an electric piano does not work for a baby grand used in concerts.
Spinet Piano
A spinet piano is a small compact size piano frequently used in homes and measures about three feet high and about five feet wide. If you think they won't weigh a lot because they're small, think again. These pianos typically weigh around 300 lb.
They have to be moved as carefully as much larger pianos.
Upright Piano
Studio upright and large pianos are two of the most popular types of home pianos. A studio piano is about 48 feet inches tall and 58 inches wide while a large upright Is nearly 60 inches tall and 58 inches wide. Despite their differences, both can be moved in the same way. The smaller studio piano can weigh as little as 400 pounds and as much as 600 pounds.
The full vertical piano, also called the large upright, can go up to nearly a full half-ton in weight.
Grand Piano
The most recognizable feature of a grand piano is that it's very long and low. Its unique shape makes it sound richer than other types of pianos. Grand pianos are much too big for the average-sized home and are better suited for larger spaces like concert halls or very large homes. The smallest grand piano is the petite grand piano. The petite grand weighs around 500 pounds. The next size up is a standard grand, weighing anywhere from 600 to 700 pounds, The largest size Is the concert grand piano, which weighs in at a massive 1300 pounds. The largest grand pianos are as long as nine feet across, making them a beast to move.
Conclusion
A piano is a precious musical instrument. Moving a piano takes a lot of time and effort, but if you put the right time into it and make sure you plan ahead, you should be able to get it from one location to the next with relative ease. At the end of the day, it may make sense to go with professional movers experienced in moving a piano. They have all the gear necessary to make the move, they've done it many times before, and they'll have liability insurance in case anything should happen in transit. Ultimately the decision is up to you.
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