How do you move a piano? Very carefully.

Okay, I’m being a little sarcastic, but moving a piano is a serious endeavor.

I’m a big advocate of hiring a professional mover to move a piano. Pianos are heavy and it’s easy to damage a piano while moving it. I’m speaking from experience. I own a Kimball piano my parents bought brand new for me when I was a child. That piano was a big deal to me after having played on an old “clunker” of a piano for several years. I played that new piano every day.

When I got married it was time to move the piano to my own home. My husband and his brothers moved it themselves. It wasn’t an easy job even with the moving dolly they used (pianos weigh several hundred pounds – grand pianos can weigh 1,500 pounds). The amateur move of my piano resulted in both of the piano legs being damaged (a common occurrence when people move a piano themselves) and some unplanned internal work (some pins needed repair and a string broke). I should have hired a piano mover. Then I wouldn’t have had those problems, but my husband and I thought we would save money by doing it ourselves. It was a lesson I should have remembered, but I was foolish a second time.

A few years ago my husband and I built a new house. When it came time to move the piano again, my husband was reluctant to hire someone to move it professionally because our pocketbook was already feeling empty from the expense of building the house (he called our new house a “money-sucking black hole.”) In his mind, moving it wasn’t a big deal. Our new house was less than two miles from our old one; and he had a dolly, a trailer, and a brother who was willing to help him.

Everything went okay until my husband turned into the driveway of our new home. The sharpness of the turn strained the ropes holding the piano on the trailer and they broke. The piano tipped over and sustained a lot of damage (the entire “guts” of the piano are ruined and the case is chipped and scratched). I haven’t had it fixed yet, but I have gotten an estimate. It’s going to take a lot of time and money to fix the piano. It needs to be totally rebuilt. Because of the labor involved, it would be cheaper to buy a new piano than have it fixed, but the piano has a lot of sentimental value to me so I will have it fixed. This is why I say, “Hire a professional!”

What does a professional piano mover do to ensure a safe and successful move? With upright pianos, they almost always strap the piano on a skid called a piano board. They also cover the piano with blankets to help protect it. The entire bundle is then typically put on a dolly and taken to its destination. If steps are involved, the piano is taken off the dolly and slid up or down the steps on the piano board.

Moving a grand piano is a little more involved. The lid, lid hinges, pedal lyre, and leg on the straight side of the piano are usually all removed. The piano is then put on the piano board, on its side, with the straight side down. The other legs of the piano are then removed. The piano is then covered with blankets, strapped to the board, and put on a dolly.

Some movers don’t like to move a piano up or down stairs. If it’s feasible, they prefer to hoist it to the appropriate floor via a window that’s big enough to accommodate the piano.

So what do you do if you just want to move your piano from one part of a room to another? First, decide if it’s really important to move it because there’s always the risk of damaging a piano even with a short move. Piano legs are the most likely thing to get damaged or broken.

Be very careful to avoid putting too much weight on the legs. Get a few strong people to help if the piano is an upright; and get at least 5 people if it’s a grand piano. With an upright or spinet, tilt the piano back a little to take the pressure off the front legs, but be careful not to tip it back too far and tip it over. With a grand piano, lift the piano up enough to get the pressure off the legs before you try to move it. It’s not necessary (and not recommended) to lift the piano off the floor entirely.

If you’re going to move a piano often, consider having it fitted with special casters that will allow you to move the piano fairly easily. Or, have the piano placed on a piano truck.

How you do you find a good piano mover if you’ve decided to not try and move it yourself? My suggestion is that you call your local piano store and ask them for recommendations. They should be able to give you the name or names of reputable movers in your area.

Okay, so you’ve decided you are definitely going to move your piano and you’ve decided on a method. Now you have to figure out where you’re going to put the piano. Where should it go?

Try to put your piano in an area of a room where there are little or no drafts, where it’s out of direct sunlight, and where the temperature and humidity are stable. This is because pianos are sensitive to humidity and temperature. Lots of temperature and humidity swings cause a piano to go out of tune faster than normal, can damage the wood case, and if they are severe they can even eventually cause structural failure.

Don’t place your piano over or next to a heat vent and avoid putting it close to a fireplace. Don’t put in front of a window because that’s typically a drafty place as well as one with direct sunlight. Try to find a room in your home or apartment that has consistently stable temperature and humidity. That is the best room for your piano.

If you can’t find a place in your apartment or home that is out of direct sunlight, free of drafts, and doesn’t have big temperature swings, you may want to consider having a climate control system installed in your piano.

Moving and placing your piano correctly will help ensure you have a lovely instrument to play for a long time rather than having what I now own – an oversized paperweight that needs to be dusted.

Generally speaking, when looking for a new piano, buy the best piano you can afford. The first thing is to decide how much you can afford to spend on a piano without breaking your budget. Remember, a piano is an investment. A good quality new piano will cost upwards of $2,000-$3,000 (easily several thousand dollars more if you want to spend that much), but that piano will also last you a long time. If it’s well-taken care of, a good piano will last about 50 years before needing to be rebuilt.

If your budget is tight, consider purchasing a used piano. They can be a good value. The best bet when purchasing a used piano is to buy from a reputable dealer so that you don’t end up with a piano that needs a lot of work to make it play and sound good. If you’re buying from a private party consider having a piano technician check it out before you purchase it. The small investment to have it checked out can save you serious dollars down the road. Remember that a piano may look good on the outside but need a lot of work on the inside (strings may need to be replaced, pins may need to be fixed or replaced, etc.) so it’s best to have a professional look at it before you purchase.

If you’re purchasing a piano for a child who is just learning how to play and you’re not ready to invest a lot of money into a piano, an older used piano in good condition may work just fine. When I first started playing piano I played on an older piano. My parents didn’t invest in a new piano for a few years because they wanted to first be sure I was interested in learning how to play and was going to use a piano. They didn’t want a big object sitting in their living room that was only collecting dust. But they did make sure the older piano we had was in good working order and was kept in tune.

If your budget is tight, my suggestion is that you opt for sound quality over the look of the piano – especially if the piano is going to be used by someone who is learning how to play it. A beautiful piano case can add major dollars to the cost of the piano and can have the same sound quality as a lower-cost piano that doesn’t have a case made with expensive wood.

If you find you truly can’t afford a new or good used piano right away, then consider renting rather than purchasing a poor-quality piano. An option is to see if you can arrange to use a piano at a friend or relative’s house, or possibly at school or church. But, if the piano is for a child who is taking lessons, renting may be the better choice unless the piano you’re using is easily accessible nearly every day. A child may quickly lose interest in learning how to play the piano if the piano isn’t easily accessible for him or her to practice on.
When you look at pianos, keep in mind that longer strings in a piano generally produce a better sound. If you’re looking at uprights, look for a taller one. If you’re looking at a grand piano, the strings are horizontal so a longer piano will typically produce a better sound but will also take up more space.

Some of the more expensive pianos such as Steinways, Bosendorfer, Bechstein, and Mason and Hamiln will better retain their value better than a less-expensive piano although most pianos retain their value fairly well (http://www.pianoscentral.com/brands). Some pianos, such as Steinways, typically appreciate in value over time. That’s one of the reasons to consider purchasing the best piano you can afford. You’ll also typically have less repair issues on a better quality piano.

What are some of the differences between an expensive piano and a less-expensive piano? Yes, sometimes it seems like you’re paying more because of the “name” or “brand” of the piano. While that may be true in some instances, it’s not the norm. Less expensive pianos usually have manufactured wood material underneath the veneer and the veneer itself will be of a less-expensive wood. They also may have synthetic materials in the piano action, and have high tension stringing scales, to name a few particulars. Higher quality pianos will have hardwood underneath the cabinet veneer, lower tension stringing scales, wool cloth in the piano actions, and are typically tuned and regulated before leaving the factory. But, there are instances where fancy beautiful cases are holding interior parts that are of sub-standard quality. To avoid getting “taken,” do research before you shop and use a reputable dealer.

If you’re not sure how much your new piano is going to be used, you might want to consider a MIDI piano. A MIDI piano is both an acoustic piano and an electronic piano. They are today’s version of the roll player pianos. You can play these pianos if you want but can also have them play music for you whenever you want.

Space is a big consideration when purchasing a piano. Pianos are approximately five feet wide and two and one-half feet deep. You’ll also need an additional two feet of depth so the piano bench can be moved out to sit on comfortably. Grand pianos usually take up most of a room because people have a tendency to showcase them and not put them against a wall like most vertical pianos are.

Shopping for a piano can be a fun experience. Enjoy the process. Look at and try out several pianos at several dealers before making a purchase decision. Get a feel for the piano. Pay attention to the feel of the keys and the sound of each piano so you can decide which piano is best for you.

I am sure that many of you would be passionate about music and might be having some of the music instrument to enjoy this pleasant joy given to us. There are different sort of music instruments that people usually owe such as guitar, trumpet, drum, woodwinds, strings or piano. Out of these pianos is the one that is not easy to play and also to maintain in comparison to the other ones mentioned.

So if you have a badly stained piano and you want to care for it then it doesn’t require any professional cleaner or polisher but all you need is a regular soft buff with a lint free cloth. Any sprays or harsh chemicals will damage the surface of the delicate keys and shall also make the instrument look older and worn than what actually it is.

<b> For cleaning the ivory keys you should not: </b>
1. Immerse in water
2. Scrub with a brush or even a scouring pad
3. Use any type of chemicals or even washing up liquid can damage the previous surface
4. Spray with furniture polish
5. Use air-freshener anywhere near the keys or piano

Ivory should be gently wiped with a soft clean cloth and for stubborn marks or fingerprints you should first wash your hands and thereafter you can use a mild non-colored toothpaste on a damp cloth but ensure that you gently rub and never scrub. Rinse with fresh milk with another lint free cloth and buff well.

You should leave the piano open on sunny days so that the keys stay bleached and don’t turn yellow. Keys that are badly discolored or stained should be scraped and recovered by any professional piano cleaner.

<b> For cleaning plastic keys you should not: </b>
1. Use chemicals
2. Leave the piano open for long period of time as this shall cause discoloration of the keys
3. Use furniture polish as this could be very harsh

Dust regularly and wipe occasionally with a soft solution of warm water and vinegar on clean chamois leather. Then buff well for added shine. If you want to clean the casework that usually gets very dusty you can use a vacuum cleaner attachment to get rid of any cobwebs or dust. It can take some time but it will surely be worth and remember not to use any water or liquid to clean the casework. For stains and marks you can consult a professional piano cleaner or tuner

You own a piano you love. But, you find that you need to put it in storage for a while. How should you go about doing it?

Many experts will tell you to avoid storing a piano if at all possible. It’s suggested to do everything you can to find a relative or friend who can keep the piano in their home or apartment until you’re ready for it again.

But what if that’s not possible?

A climate controlled storage facility is the best storage choice. Then the piano won’t be…

Classes that involve piano for beginners would include an introduction to reading and understanding the keys, chords and how to read musical notes. The piano is unlike any other instrument and sounds wonderful as stand alone music or as part of a group. The intense sound of a piano is one that captivates audiences with power or soothes them with serenity.

Budding musicians always find it exciting to explore the world of piano for beginners. Whether this is their first venture playing the piano or being used as a reminder of forgotten skills, piano for beginners is a terrific way to develop or improve skills.

The most popular place to find a piano for beginners class would be a local high school or college university music department. Occasionally, instructors will offer piano tutoring to non-students. Students, on the other hand, will have a variety of choices within the music curriculum. Otherwise, a quick visit to a local specialty music store may provide leads on potential instructors.

When learning piano for beginners, it