About Moving a Piano

A piano is a beautiful instrument, but when it comes to moving one, you need to know how much it weighs and have a plan. It's imperative to keep it upright and balanced during a move in order to keep the instrument, the surrounding objects and the people carrying it safe.

Function

Moving a piano means moving a very heavy instrument from one place to another. Ideally, the piano remains upright and stays in tune throughout the process. It is also important to move the instrument carefully to avoid scratching the finish on the piano or on other items in the path of the move.

Time Frame

At least a few hours are necessary if moving the piano from one building to another, depending on how many people are available to help and what type of moving equipment you have. Factor in the time needed for traveling between the two places, also. A move from one room to another on the same floor takes the least amount of time.

Size

All pianos, no matter what style, are extremely heavy and weigh anywhere from 300 lbs. for a spinet, which has a smaller area of wood casing, to upward of 1,200 lbs. for a grand piano, which is comprised of more wood and longer strings for each key. The people moving the piano should be strong and able to handle the size and bulk of the piano. Using a dolly for the move is ideal, because the piano can be placed on top of it and rolled at least part of the way.

Types

There are two main types of pianos, uprights and grands. There are a number of different subtypes, including spinets, baby grands and concert grands. Each kind is a different shape, meaning the weight is distributed differently.

Effects

A piano is moved from one site to another for any number of reasons: the owner may be moving to a new home; the piano could be sold; or the owner thinks the piano would look better in another setting. Moving a piano can affect the people who are doing the actual move because they could easily be injured by the object's weight--someone's back can be hurt, or body parts can be scratched or crushed by a moving piano.