Moving Pianos

I've moved a lot of pianos.  For years I worked with a guy, a big guy, who was brilliant at getting pianos up and down stairs, around corners, through windows and doors.  You don't have to be Atlas, but being tall helps.  Mostly you have to be smart - there is A Way To Do It, and you go step by step.  Patience is a virtue.

Moving a piano does not require a lot of people, as everyone imagines - three people at most, with a fourth to set dollies and open doors.  Any more, and they just get in the way.  It's also incredibly important that one person give the commands and the others follow.  This has to be agreed upon before going any further.  Everyone going his own way is a recipe for injury and disaster.

I get asked a lot to help with or supervise a moving, and it's always a tricky matter.  It can go like this:  twelve guys with bulging muscles show up, prepared to do battle with the piano.  I'm a little guy, so they take one look at me, and that's the end of listening to anything I have to say.  Then they proceed to argue loudly over how to do this.  At this point I walk out, leaving them to their ignorance.  Usually, though, because I'm older now and can assert some authority, the helpers will eventually listen, aware that they can really hurt themselves, and then everything goes well.  Most of them end up standing around drinking the congratulatory end-of-the-move beer while three of us do the actual moving.

Years ago I helped a friend move a grand piano to his house from the other side of the city.  He rounded up an impressive collection of enthusiastic helpers who had really psyched themselves up.  I showed up with a moving truck, a couple of ramps, a skid, assorted dollies, blankets, and tools for dismantling the piano.  No one had ever seen this done before.  They seemed to have a picture in mind that they were going to surround the piano, mightily heave ho, and walk it all the way across Providence.  They were fascinated with my approach, but a little disappointed with the lack of drama and sweat.  No one refused the beer afterwards, though.