I'll give you a tip as a professional mover. Lift one end just high enough to get a three or four inch block under. Go to opposite and and do the same. And then put the dolly underneath the piano. And then reverse. What you're doing is just a liability waiting to happen.
you ever tried using lighter pianos? those type seem hella heavy but modern-style ones seem much lighter. I can carry mine with two (weak) people easily for 30 seconds
I actually don’t travel with this one. This is wayyyy heavier. When I traveled I had a smaller one. I also once had a 65 key piano but the keys sounded wonky
I moved my Soji Daewoo by myself granted it's on its own wheels. But still at 5'6" 145 lbs , it took one hour to move it from my living room to bedroom. As you might expect, the furniture works around the final piano placement. I will say using my backside and pushing against a solid wall has been very effective. 😂
Dotan, I can't believe you're moving and holding a 500 piano by yourself with a fabric, an iron wheel, and the wheel furniture jolly on this video and I don't want you to get hurt, so I'm happy for you and I know you're one of my musical idols in the world!!!
My partner and I have a piano store and I agree 100 percent that people should never move pianos by themselves if they have 0 experience with moving them. We both can move them by ourselves but it's not worth possibly damaging the piano and hurting yourself.
Wow !! I've slid one on carpet disks but never thought you'd have to lift it to the balance point. Bravo 👏. So gnarly so dangerous brining it down on the dolly must have been the tricky part to master. I'm picking up a piano pretty much just like yours wasn't too sure how the dolly landing part was going to go but I had bottle Jack's outfitted with cushions. Thanks for the video I'm rethinking my strategy. Waiting for some helpers. I've been playing my whole life well 7yo to 42yo today so I can wait to get it here I've got a flat trailer long ramps dolly but that brokennhand photo the tough squat lift and letting it down onto the dolly I can see when I'm out matched for tools strength and leverage. You made a great video.thanks but of course I will be checking out your around the world playing everywhere. I played a few out in city's and parks and dreamed of that which you've done. Quite impressive to say the least. Truly I thought of doing the same but just didn't know what or where to start. Do I need permits that is the kinda stuff that sucked the joy outta the dream. Hard to go renegade no permit performance and run with 500 lbs in toe . I will look into your videos more. I'm so glad you demonstrated this for me to not do. But you reignited an idea I'd almost forgot about to break the walls down of the practice space take the music to a new place. "Tare Down The Walls "
Im going to show you how to move a piano that crushed my hand... welcome to jackass lol. Im a chick who is 5'5 and 145 and desperately want to take old free pianos and refurbish them but paying a ton of money each time isnt doable so thanks for this.
When you let your hand off of the piano I said out loud "Que barbaro!",which sort of means "No way" or "You are crazy". Very impressive indeed! (I have to move a Piano, that's why I ended up here)
@@902telesky7 no problem at all! I went to Home Depot, bought the 20 dollars dolly for 10 because it was a little damaged ( I asked for the discount and they agreed). Then between 3 people we did the moving. The 3rd person only put the dolly underneath, but once it’s up the second person can do it. Good luck!
You can also just get a slightly higher quality dolly, one that has wheel locks, and attach it to the bottom. Perhaps in a way that it can also come off at times, but also function as a permanent piece of the piano at other times.
I dropped my piano on its back somehow while painting it. So I can’t imitate (at my own risk) your video. What I am doing is using a car jack and have the top of the back with a couple of cinder blocks under it now so if the jack fails, it won’t fall far. I’m deciding if the squat is the move here although I’m tempted to tie a rope and use my truck which could have a catastrophic (to the piano) downside…. I can’t believe I got myself in this mess. I have just moved and the kind of friends you ask for this type help are very far away. Darn. Ever seen this problem and solved it? Thanks!
I think my old upright is heavier. I ‘inherited an old Kohler and Chase (San Francisco). I was just turned down by a piano mover saying it’s too difficult to get up the Upack Truck ramp. I hope I can get it from Cali to Oklahoma in one piece 😅. Calling around some more, keeping fingers crossed.
Hello ! I just wanted to say that, in your arrangement, have you tried screwing dolley wheels on the bottom of the piano ? I know it must have crossed your mind, but there exists some wheels that have a lock on it. Pianos that are in theaters and concert halls have them. It would be easier for someone who travels a lot with the piano. Cause again, the way you just showed is very dangerous to do alone, having made gigs by myself and sometimes hurting my back more than I should've.
@@pianoaround Hi again, thank you for answering. If I may suggest, I've been thinking about it a little and have found a little something you could add to your movement (or the way you lift the piano and etc). 1: If you wanna lift it without hurting your back, there exist straps that are made solely for that purpose. This step would be optional. 2. When it is lifted (like, step 2), instead of putting the dolley directly underneath the piano and slowly putting the piano down; you could maybe put a little block underneath (unironically). That way, you could safely grab the other end, lift it, and THEN put the dolley underneath. This would greatly reduce the "janky" moment when you try to compensate the dolley wheels when getting the piano down on it. This way, it would take extra steps, but would save your fingers, so it's a win win I think. As a disclaimer, I am only trying to help in anyway I can and would be glad if I could be of service to you or anyone I can reach. Thank you very much. ☀️
Man, you are crazy!! But that is awesome that you are able to do that, question for you, when transporting the piano, do you pull the legs off, or is there some type soft material that you sit it on?? What do you have to do to transport it?
What about through doorways and down small sets of stairs and stuff like that, putting on a dolly is the easiest part, after that stairways can be a problem.
Very good! I did this with a free-standing summer house I wanted to spin around. Jacked it up, castors each corner. Was only 8x10ft but still weighed a ton and had a lot of glass. Pushed it like I was pushing a shopping trolley!... Then drank a beer after feeling proper manly and proud of myself lol
I watched a piano moving company move a grand last week and I can tell you right now, you can't do that by yourself. Even the more daring and highly skilled piano techs that always work solo call in help when moving a grand (I know this because two of the most experienced piano techs in the Netherlands told me when I asked during a guest lesson). The grand I saw being moved was very old and had a construction that wasn't up to the forces that a crane applied so they had to do it by hand. It was quite an impressive sight.
OMG I was considering moving my console Wurlitzer before I saw your video. Now I am having second thoughts. I keep hearing your voice in my head: "Do not do this!!!" BTW I checked out a rental place near my home and they have piano dollies that have a lever and straps that lift the piano on both ends to allow dolly wheels to drop down and carry the weight. I think that's a safer option. Oh yeah. I have a Yamaha 88-note electronic with weighted keys that works better for me than an acoustic. Thanks for the video.
Are you using that dolly outside? There are much better piano moving dollies available from piano rebuiling suppliers (ones with wheels for inside and out). They are much easier to get under the piano when you are on your own as well.
When I deliver people's safes we use the same method of tipping the safe (with 2 people) to put on a dolly that's made to handle up to 2000 pounds. I do the same trick when the safe is balanced of holding it in place with my thumb to make the customer laugh or get scared. I've had 1900 pound safes balanced and used the 2 finger method to balanced the safe.
I almost do the same, by holding the waist of the piano and resting it on my leg, and positioning the roller. Also, instead of a blanket, I use a rubber mat, to protect the piano, and prevent it of slipping. :)
you can attach a "permanent" structure with 4 wheels that will lift the piano with an hydraulic push (similar to the one that you use to change car tyres)... easier and especially safer!
I'm amazed how strong the wheels on the opposite of you are. Have they ever broken on you while mounting the piano? Also, doesn't the soundboard get damaged and the tuning get messed up, at some point, from all the moving around?
I'm writing a story where one of the characters has to move a piano by himself. I'm super glad for this video showing that it's _possible_, albeit extremely difficult and not at all recommended in reality.
I tried getting the roller under just one end using the dolly to tip it up. I tipped it over but the book shelf caught it. Could’ve been a disaster. Plus my arms were hurting bad later that night. Yes. Do no do it.
Avevo il mio tavolo per fare giochi di prestigio con le ruote con un concetto simile al tuo pianoforte , e l'ho usato per molti anni italia . mi ricorda tantissimo il tuo pianoforte. ho dormito in tenda o albergo almeno 200 notti l'anno gran parte della mia vita . da 5 anni mio figlio si è ammalato di diabete tipo 1 e non mi assento per poter dare assistenza. Ma in un angolo del mio cuore spero di poter un giorno ripartire con il banchetto con le ruote .
I laughed out loud - I have to move an old piano - this looks like insanity - so...thanks for the last and most important advice! - happy travels and playing!
planning on moving a piano, of course I plan to have total 3 people to help me. Dotan since you move piano all around the world. I have two words for you "digital piano" thanks for the video and have a nice day. PS please don't throw a disc
At 2:12 im like wahaaaaaaaaaaaaat!!!!!! So we just bought a brand new k200 and i have to move into another part of the room, no way those tiny wheels can support the ride over these hard tiles so im thinking about using two trolleys on either side under those wheels
Thanks, i just had my piano tuner helping me and he said its a big NoNo to use trolleys with moveable wheels. This is because of the weight distribution inside an upright its easy to flip over and then its bye bye. So we moved the piano by putting it on big rugs and sliding it to the corner, went pretty easily. Had to lift it up on either side a couple of times though...But it worked👍🏻
So what I took away from this is: Get one of those dolly things Build a ramp for the piano and the dolly thing to travel on top of on the way from the street into my apartment Have at least 2-4 spectators for every person working on moving the piano into the apartment
I wonder how much an antique upright weighs and if this can be done with two men on a furniture dolly. If anyone knows could you leave me a reply. Thanks guys.
Hehe I might’ve accidentally lifted up the piano by myself when I got too angry at my mom earlier.... Well I just wanna see how you’re supposed to properly do it haha
Putting a piano on a dolly safely, will require 2 people or one the way you did I was waiting to see you bring it upstairs. That would be “moving a piano by myself “
why not holding the dolly with your feet fixed and then using two hands to put the piano down on that dolly. Why would anyone want to go under the piano.. geez
