Moving My Steinway Grand Piano

September 24, 2016

My grandchildren, Jude and Truman, are learning how to play the piano.

Studying music is a wonderful way for children to develop hand-eye coordination, and discipline. Learning how to play an instrument is also lots of fun, and now that the children are four and five years old, my daughter, Alexis, thought it was the perfect time to start lessons. I decided it would be great for them to learn on my Steinway piano. It's not used nearly as much as I would like - mostly during the holidays when I host gatherings at my Bedford, New York home - having Jude and Truman play it would be so special.

Earlier this month, the piano was moved to my daughter's apartment in New York City. Pianos are one of the harder items in a household to move, considering their size, awkward shape, and bulkiness. When moving a piano, it's a good idea to enlist the help of a professional moving company. I used A. N. Piano Moving LLC. in Wayne, New Jersey. The company has been moving pianos and organs for many years. Here are some photos.

: This is my Summer House. I use it mostly for entertaining, especially during the holidays. It is also where I keep my Steinway Grand piano.

: Before moving the piano, we lined the entire hallway with towels to protect the hardwood floors.

: This piano is nearly seven-feet long, and about five-feet wide. It also weighs more than 750-pounds, so it was crucial to have it moved professionally.

: This is called a piano skid board – a must for moving pianos safely and efficiently. It’s a solid piece of hardwood finished with a padded covering to help protect delicate piano surfaces.

: Brian has been moving pianos for about 30-years. On this day, mine was the first of several Brian and Sean would move.

: Once the piano lid is lowered and locked, Brian holds the piano while Sean removes the left front leg.

: They then placed a moving blanket under the pedals to cushion it and to help balance the piano.

: The piano is tilted and gently lowered onto the piano skid board.

: Once the piano is resting on the board, the right front leg is removed. Pianos should never be rolled on their metal casters. The casters are decorative and not very functional, and when used, they could easily gouge hardwood floors. Grand pianos are spaced on the three corners, so all of the weight is centered between them.

: All the legs are placed into a moving blanket.

: Brian is especially careful when removing the pedals, pushrods and lyre. The pedal box, which may also be called the lyre box, is the wooden housing for the three pedals on the piano. The portion of the pedals that stick out of the pedal box are called the pedal feet.

: After Brian removes the pedal system, they are carefully wrapped in a moving blanket.

: With the piano on its long side and all the legs and pedals removed, Brian and Sean begin to wrap and strap the piano securely.

: Several moving blankets are placed over and around the piano to give it as much cushioning as possible.

: Heavy duty straps are used to secure the blankets so they don’t slip during the move.

: Brian secures the piano to the piano board by bringing the ends of the straps together and fastening them. Every edge of the piano is covered for protection.

: Brian carries the legs and the pedals out to the truck.

: The piano is ready to be placed onto a dolly and wheeled out of the house.

: A moving dolly is carefully placed under the skid board and piano. At first glance it doesn’t look like this piano is exactly centered but its weight is centered, which is most important. The left part of the piano with the keyboard has very little weight compared to the cast iron harp within the rest of the piano’s kidney shape. Most of the piano’s weight is from just a little left of the leg brackets to the back of the piano.

: Slowly, the piano is wheeled through the room and down the hall.

: Brian watches that the piano rolls evenly and slowly. He also makes sure none of the walls or the ceiling are touched along the way.

: Luckily, Brian and Sean use a lift-gate truck, so the piano can just be loaded onto the lift and raised to the truck bed.

: When moving a piano, at least two people are needed so one can control the light side and another can manage the heavy side.

: The piano is taken off of its dolly and, while still on the skid board, placed with the top of the piano facing the truck’s wall.

: The piano bench is also wrapped securely in a fresh, clean moving blanket.

: Sean and Brian secure multiple belts around the piano and to the truck’s wall to secure it for driving.

: Brian and Sean completed the move in about 40-minutes. It was done so smoothly and professionally.

: Later that afternoon, the piano arrived safely at my daughter’s home, and carefully re-assembled. Always consider the size of the room when thinking of getting a piano. If the walls are too close, the piano won’t be able to project and resonate like it would in a larger space. This piano fits perfectly in this spacious living room.