How to Move a Baby Grand Piano

Whether you're moving a baby grand piano from one room to another or from one state to another, it's delicate, time-consuming work. Keep in mind that you could destroy the piano at any moment, and be prepared to take things very, very slow.

Things You'll Need

• Furniture pads
• Furniture dolly
• Heavy moving blankets
• Rubber mallet
• Screwdriver
• Moving truck
• Moving straps/ropes

Instructions

Moving a Baby Grand Piano Inside a Room

1. Lock the lid.

2. Recruit three friends to help you; position each person on one end of the piano.

3. Lift (with your legs, not your back) no more than a few inches off the floor.

4. Move the piano slowly endways, not sideways. To turn the piano, rotate the piano in place.

Moving a Baby Grand Piano to Another Building

1. Remove the top board of the baby grand by carefully tapping out the hinge pins. Put it aside.

2. Remove the music board and set it aside.

3. Remove the center leg (with the pedals) and its supports and set it aside.

4. Lay furniture pads or a few layers of moving blankets on the floor underneath the piano. You're about to remove the legs, and the piano needs to rest on the floor without being scratched.

5. Check to see how the legs of the piano are fastened--with bolts, screws or braces--and remove these fasteners from one of the legs. The leg should stay in place afterward thanks to an interlocking spine with the piano proper.

6. Lightly tap the leg with the rubber mallet on each side (hold a cloth or blanket against the leg to prevent scratching) until you find the side where the leg starts to give. Have your friends lift the piano ever so slightly off the ground to allow you to knock the leg off.

7. Lightly lower the corner of the piano that is now legless onto the floor.

8. Tip the piano, very gently, on its side, keeping one of you behind the piano to hold it steady once it's upright.

9. Repeat Step #6 for the three remaining piano legs.

10. Lift the piano carefully onto a pad or blanket-covered dolly. Cover the piano and strap it tightly. There's no such thing as too many ropes or straps.

11. Load the dolly into the moving truck, one person pushing, with at least one person on each side.

12. Secure the piano inside of the moving truck with additional straps, ropes or buckles to prevent tipping.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider hiring specialty piano movers if you're worried about the piano's condition.

• Make sure you have a good place to put the piano once you move it. Measure the dimensions of the piano to make sure it can fit through doors and into the moving truck.