How much does a piano weigh? This is an interesting question and it’s not easy to answer because there are many different types and sizes of pianos on the market. A digital vertical piano may weigh less than an acoustic alternative but it can still be a hefty instrument if it has 88-keys and a nice cabinet. The only real way to find out how heavy your piano or potential piano is will be to find out the exact make and model. Choosing a Roland keyboard for your home is a good investment, but it doesn’t make much sense if you don’t have sufficient space for it. Some more portable digital piano keyboards are easy to move and store and they may be a viable alternative for people in tighter living spaces. When you know the make and model of a piano you can find the exact weight for siting the instrument or to arrange transport. In this brief guide, we will take a look at some popular piano types and the characteristics that affect their size and weight.
You may be aware that 21 million Americans Trusted Source What Is the Most Popular Instrument to Play? What’s the most popular instrument to play? If you’re new to music or have been playing for years, find out which instruments made the list. www.creativesoulmusic.com play piano, but have you ever asked yourself, how much does an upright piano weigh? If you have, you may be surprised to learn that this instrument is part of the vertical piano family. This is the type of piano that you typically see in a music school or school auditorium setting. This is a popular option because the upright orientation is a real space saver.
There are four main classifications of vertical pianos in common use today, they are: console, studio, spinet and upright pianos.
How much does a spinet piano weigh? Well, this is probably the smallest type of vertical piano in terms of both size and weight. A spinet piano can range from 3’ up to 3’4” tall and it would typically weigh 200 lbs up to a maximum of around 400 lbs. Due to the relative portability of a spinet piano it’s probably the easiest vertical piano to move.
A studio piano ranges between 3’ 6” up to 4’ tall and they typically weigh 400 lbs up to around 500 lbs. These can be acoustic or digital models and they are a popular option in many music schools. Investing in a digital piano like Kawai makes excellent sense when you’re searching for a good compromise between various factors, such as: tone, size, affordability, portability and more. In most cases, it would require at least three adults to move a vertical piano at the upper end of the studio piano weight range.
A console piano ranges from 3’3” up to around 3’6” tall with a weight of 350 lbs up to around 450 lbs. This is a popular vertical piano choice because they are a little taller and a
couple of adults can move them
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How Many People Does It Take to Move a Piano | Moving Tips | Attention to Detail
Pianos are elegant, beautiful, versatile—and heavy. If you’ve ever tried to move one of these instruments, you know that it’s not the type of thing that can be done by a single person. But exactly how many people does it take to move a piano? The answer depends on a number of different factors.
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if there are no major obstacles or stairs to navigate.
An upright piano starts at 4’ going up to around 5’ in height with a weight range of 500 up to 1,000 lbs. As you can see, the upright piano is the tallest and heaviest vertical piano type. The weight range can vary a great deal because this could be an older heirloom piano or a modern alternative. If you invest in the best digital piano under 2,000 dollars the quality of the build and feature set will add to the overall weight. In this case, you may discover that the digital piano is equivalent to the traditional acoustic piano when it’s time to move it. Moving an upright piano of this size would require four adults and special equipment if obstacles or stairs are involved.
The term “grand piano” can be a little hard to understand for people new to the world of pianos. It’s almost inferred that a grand piano must be large, but this is not the case and you can get grand pianos that are quite small and easier to move. There are five main types or weight classifications of grand pianos to consider, they are: baby grand, medium grand, professional grand, semi-concert grand and the concert grand piano. Let’s take a look at the relative size and weight of each grand piano type in a little more detail:
A baby grand piano starts at around 5’ long going up to 5’6” for the largest examples. This type of piano weighs 500 lbs and a larger instrument can weigh up to 600 lbs. For many musicians this is a good compromise in terms of affordability, size, weight and tonal quality. However, a smaller baby grand piano has a certain aesthetic appeal that sets it apart from a vertical piano of any size.
A medium grand piano is slightly longer at 5’6” up to 5’9” and it has the same weight range as the baby grand piano. For those with more space and a desire for a larger piano in the home this is an excellent choice but moving it can be a significant challenge.
A professional grand piano is usually 6’ long and it typically weighs around 700 lbs depending on the exact model. For many musicians with a desire for a piano at home this is the best balance of size, weight and sound quality. A piano of this size requires plenty of space and moving it regularly is simply not possible without professional help.
It’s unusual to find a semi-concert grand piano outside of a music institution, concert hall or other permanent setting. This is a significant piano with a length of 7’ up to 8’6” and a weight range of 900 lbs up to 1,000 lbs. As you can imagine, moving a semi-concert grand piano would be a major undertaking and beyond the capabilities of most people.
A concert grand piano sits at the absolute pinnacle of pianos in terms of sound quality, overall length and weight. This type of piano can be 9’ or even longer and the weight can range from 900 lbs up to 1.200 lbs or more! Moving a massive concert grand piano should be left to professionals in order to protect the considerable investment they represent.
Moving a piano can be a major undertaking, but you can make the process easier if you follow these three simple tips:
Plan the Route Carefully
Choose a route with the fewest number of obstacles and avoid steps and stairs where possible. Avoiding sharp corners and tight doorways makes good sense and drawing a simple map of the route can help. If you’re moving a piano with other people make sure they know their responsibilities and how to lift weight safely with a straight back.
Lock the Lid and Wrapping
A piano has a pair of lids that cover the cabinet and keyboard and they must be secured before the move begins. The easiest method is to wrap some thick moving blankets around the entire piano and secure them with packing tape. Also, this coverage adds some extra protection against scratches and scrapes when you move through doorways.
Use a Dolly
Even a smaller dolly will come in handy when you move any size of piano but you will need at least an extra pair of hands too. It’s always a good idea to have help even when moving a smaller piano to prevent the dolly from tipping.
Here are some curious piano facts you might not know:
This is the most expensive piano ever made and it was designed for the Beijing 2008 Olympics. The manufacturer is Heintzman Pianos from Canada and after the event this gorgeous piano was sold at auction for $3.22 million.
The Largest PianoAdrian Mann is a piano tuner from New Zealand and at the age of 25 he finished the construction of his piano. The instrument was over 18’ 5” in length and it weighed over 1.5 tons. This instrument took almost 4 years to build and it set the world record for the largest piano ever built.
Piano StringsAn acoustic piano usually has 220-230 steel strings that are tightly strung to produce a sound when they are struck by a hammer. Every string is under around 168 lbs of tension and most standard pianos have a combined tension of 18-20 tons in total. In fact, the large grand pianos may even have a combined string tension of 30 tons which really highlights the precision of a piano tuning specialist.
How much does a piano weigh? Is difficult to answer. An acoustic piano is available in a variety of configurations, sizes and weights which can make transportation a very customised experience. Even a digital piano can be very heavy and if you want to move a piano you’re going to need some help. Find out the weight in advance to develop a moving plan and work out how much help you need. If you’re in any doubt about your ability to move a piano safely it’s a good idea to contact a moving professional for expert help.
