Moving a Piano > A Story

What’s more fun? We could tell you all of the hi-tech reasons that you should have qualified piano movers help you when this difficult journey begins… but a story is more exciting!

Disclaimer: Put on your seat belt, and as an additional precaution remember that all of this can be prevented… This doesn’t have to happen to you. (names have been changed to protect the ill prepared)

The Story: “Tis the Season – Toboggan or Piano?”

John and Rhonda “Smith” of Monadnock, NH called their piano distributor one sunny winter afternoon with an interesting request. Apparently, they wanted to know if there were any technicians on staff who could get out to their home and assist them… “In a Hurry”. Since the Smiths were regular customers on a preplanned maintenance schedule, and often stopped in for lessons, sheet music and other accessories, the store new that this must be an exceptional day that so urgent attention was needed! So, it was time to grab a coffee, and head off to Monadnock for a house call they would never forget.

While moving from their hillside New Hampshire retreat, the Smiths attempted to move their baby-brand piano from their upstairs entertainment room to the well padded and prepared, climate-controlled moving truck. Their home had a luxuriously wide stairway and plenty of room to edge the piano, teetering to over the lip of the upper 4 stairs and into the experienced and overconfident grip of their rugged son “James” and his friend “cliff” (get it, cliff). Upon beginning the decent of the stairs, young and athletically gifted James found that this little baby grand became surprisingly slippery as its heft and awkward shape and position caused his gorilla like hands to moisten. Now, on a side note, young James was at no fault in this incident, except for that it appears his prior and well tested track-record with dressers, weight benches and assorted other furniture has demonstrated exceeding prowess during friends and family moves over the years. Why should this move lend itself to exception?

In a series of split second decision making, worthy of a family camcorder and several insensitive “I wish I could have seen its” in years to follow, James shifted his weight, followed by what could only be described as an attempt at a new grip. In a lightening flash that newly dubbed the family piano as “flying” baby grand, James dove a disappointing 15 feet over the ornate railing to the hardwood floor and out of the runway, as the family piano careened the 23 feet from the top of the luxurious stairs to the first floor and out the location of the single front door, smashing the wall, the railing, young Jim’s leg, and an attractive knee wall and then sailed outdoors into the snow (the family cat, anxious to get in from the cold, made other plans as only a cat can do). Under normal circumstances this fine piece of German craftsmanship would have stopped there - wedged in the deep snow, but due to a stroke of coincidence, that today is comical, but then was desperate and unbearably disastrous, the piano landed on its glossy top-upside down, and proceeded to make an impressive slide and then dramatic tumble about 130 yards (rough estimate from the family golfer) to the woods below.

The “Smith” family wanted to know if our movers could help them remove their damaged piano from the woods this afternoon and begged us to “be careful and plan carefully”, because it is a family heirloom. Timing and pressing events aside, their piano consultant agreed whole heartedly with the advice and proceeded to “be careful and plan carefully” as they sorted the now numbered piano pieces into sorting bags and boxes and began the process of trying to make a piano from the remains of the day, back at their shop.

Obviously, this is an extreme example of the damage that can be inflicted when moving a piano in do-it-yourself fashion. Even if you don't toss your piano over a cliff and make way for a double front door where only one existed before, when it comes time to move your piano, do it right. Call Darrell’s Music hall and our qualified moving team will plan your move to ensure complete safety and security of your prized piano.