SPECIALIZED PIANO MOVERS OTTAWA, ON.

Hiring Piano Movers

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE HIRING PIANO MOVERS.

Hiring Piano Movers

This information will make Hiring Piano Movers easy. Please understand that, Every piano move is different. Each one is priced according to certain factors including distance and difficulty. Difficulty reflects the piano’s current position in a building and its optimal path to the piano moving truck. Revers that to determine the difficulty from truck to the piano’s destination. The information you provide while booking a piano move determines the price of the move. It is important to be as accurate as possible so that the piano movers arrive properly prepared for your unique piano moving situation. Failing to do so can very possibly incur extra charges.

  • Here’s a list of the basic and most important info needed. Try to have all of it ready when you call:
  • Address of both pick up and drop off location.
  • Style of piano (upright or grand)
  • Know if there any obstacles at either location such as tight angle turns, narrow doors, stair cases…
  • Very important to know the dimensions. Specifically the height for an upright, and the length for a grand piano.

Important note; An upright Grand is NOT a grand piano. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, retailers called some larger upright piano’s “Cabinet Grand Piano” or “Upright Grand Piano” as a marketing ploy. A grand piano stands horizontally NOT vertically.  They normally cost in excess of 400$ and more to move than a regular upright piano.

Always use experienced piano movers even if you are obtaining a cheap second hand piano. Our piano movers are experienced, knowledgeable and adaptable to the circumstances of each unique piano move. Your treasured instrument is in the best possible hands but please don’t take our word for it, see for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

At the end of each piano move, we inspect the inside of the piano to make sure everything is in working order. Then we check the tone of the piano to see how much work is needed to get it sounding perfect! If the piano needs any minor repairs or adjustments, they can normally be done on the spot at little or no extra charge. A estimate for tuning is also given at this point.

History of Piano’s

History of Piano’s

The piano is unique among keyboard instruments. Only the piano has hammers that strike tuned strings and rebound away from them, allowing the strings to vibrate and produce sustained musical tones. Each note has an escapement mechanism between the key and its hammer that releases the hammer from the key just before the hammer strikes the strings, allowing it to bounce away from the strings. The pianist may play softly or loudly by depressing the keys slowly or quickly, thus varying the intensity of the blows of the hammers on the strings. This is a brief history of piano’s and there development since the first practical piano which was built 300 years ago! This entire history and so much more can be found in Arthur A. Reblitz book: Piano servicing, tuning, and rebuilding.

Antique Pianos

Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731) built the first practical piano that History of Piano's, yamaha console pianocould be played either softly or loudly, with an escapement mechanism for the hammers, in the early 1700’s. The name piano is an abbreviation of Cristofori’s original name for the instrument piano et forte, or soft and loud. The dramatic expressive capabilities of the piano set it apart from other keyboard instruments of Cristofori’s time, including the harpsichord, in which the mechanism plucks the strings, and the clavichord, in which small brass “tangents” mounted directly on the back ends of the keys touch the strings lightly to produce a very soft, delicate tone. Because of its versatility, the piano has remained popular to this day as the fundamental keyboard instrument of both home and concert hall.

The period beginning with the invention of the piano in the 1700’s and ending in the late 1800’s saw much experimentation and frequent design change. Early pianos of one maker were radically different from those of another. By the late 1800’s, these early designs had evolved toward an instrument whose basic features were similar to those of the modern piano. It is unusual today to find a piano manufactured prior to the 1860’s or 1870’s outside of a museum.

Victorian Pianos

By the late 1800’s, factories were mass producing pianos and History of Piano's, parlour grand pianoretailing them at low enough prices that the public could afford to buy them. Piano cabinets of this period typically featured fancy carvings, fretwork, molding’s, and ornate veneers.

Today these instruments are known as “Victorian” pianos. Victorian pianos may be categorized into three main types: the upright, the square (also known as the square grand), and the grand. Most vertical pianos were uprights, with the strings and soundboard positioned vertically. Square pianos had a rectangular shape with the strings positioned horizontally and approximately parallel to the length of the keyboard. Grand pianos had the strings positioned horizontally, approximately at right angles to the length of the keyboard.

The best Victorian uprights and grands were excellent pianos. Square pianos, despite their massive, ornate cabinets, had small soundboard’s and hammers . Their appearance was more impressive than their musical capability even when they were new. Victorian pianos used mass produced , machine-made action parts, but replacement parts for many of these pianos have not been stocked by piano supply companies since the 1930’s. Of the many Victorian pianos still in existence , the best are well worth careful restoration and preservation.

Twentieth Century Pianos

By the early 1900’s the “Golden Age of the Piano” the development of History of Piano's, 150 year old pianothe piano as we know it today was practically complete. Square pianos were nearly extinct. Grand and upright cabinets were streamlined, and “gingerbread” was eliminated. The mechanical design had progressed essentially to the point where it is today, incorporating high tensile strength steel wire strings strung on large heavy cast iron frames, with large hammers and large soundboard’s.

A common promotional trick in the early 1900 ‘s was to call an upright an “upright grand ” or “cabinet grand.” Because the public tends to think of a grand as being of higher quality than a vertical, these fancy labels are meant to suggest that the piano has qualities typical of grands not found in ordinary verticals. Upon careful examination, a piano with one of these names bears no more resemblance to a grand piano than any other vertical does.

The 1930’s marked the beginning of a trend toward smaller and smaller pianos. Large uprights evolved into smaller studio uprights, and baby grands less than 5’8″ (173 em .) in length became more popular. By the end of the 1940’s, manufacturers mass marketed small consoles and smaller spinets to consumers who didn’t have room for large, boxy uprights in their “modern” smaller apartments and homes.

The height of the cabinet and the placement of the piano action in relation to the keyboard determine whether a vertical piano is an upright, studio upright, console, or spinet. In an upright piano the action is located a distance above the keys, requiring extensions called stickers to connect the keys to the action. Twentieth century full sized uprights nearly always have stickers.

The studio upright and console are of medium height, and usually have the action mounted directly over the keys without stickers. This is called a direct blow action . The studio upright (also called the “professional upright” by many manufacturers) looks like a smaller version of a full sized upright with a slanted front . Most studio uprights made since the 1950 ‘s are high quality , durable pianos marketed mainly to schools , churches , and piano teachers. The console is slightly smaller than a studio upright , typically with the action made as short as possible while still able to sit on top of the keys. Most console pianos have fancier cabinets, for the home market .

The spinet is the smallest vertical, usually with the action partially or completely below the keys. Most spinets have drop actions with drop stickers extending downward from the keys to connect them to the action. The tone quality of spinet pianos is inherently poor in the bass, due to the short bass strings. Also, the spinet action doesn’t feel as solid as that of a console or upright because of the drop stickers . While higher priced spinets are assembled carefully from good quality materials, average spinets are manufactured to satisfy consumer demand for instruments that are as small and inexpensive as possible.

Exceptions to the drop action rule include a few spinets as short as 34″ (including some Currier models) that incorporate a direct blow compressed action, and certain consoles (including 40″- 41″ Baldwin and Brambach models made in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s) that have drop actions.

In summary, a modern piano (one made since the early 1900’s) is either a grand or a vertical. If a vertical, it is either an upright, a studio upright, a console, or a spinet. Most pianos made since the beginning of the 20th century use standardized action parts that are still available. A few, however, used experimental designs that are now obsolete. Millions of pianos made since the early 1900’s, from the cheapest to the very best, are still around today. If a good quality piano is in a moderately good state of preservation, then it is worth repairing, restoring and moving.

Safe Piano Moving.

Moving pianos can be a difficult and delicate process that requires specialized knowledge and equipment. Pianos are heavy, bulky and delicate instruments, and moving them can be challenging and potentially dangerous without proper preparation and precautions.

Here are some things you should know about moving pianos:

  1. Hire professionals: It is strongly recommended that you hire professional piano movers to ensure that your piano is moved safely and without damage. Professional movers have the knowledge, expertise, and equipment needed to move your piano properly.
  2. Plan ahead: Moving a piano takes time, so plan ahead and make sure you have enough time to prepare for the move. This includes scheduling the move with the movers, preparing the piano for the move, and making sure that the new location is ready to receive the piano.
  3. Measure doorways and hallways: Make sure to measure all the doorways and hallways the piano will need to pass through to get to its new location. Pianos are large and can be difficult to maneuver through tight spaces, so make sure there is enough clearance.
  4. Secure the lid and pedals: Before moving the piano, secure the lid and pedals to prevent damage. If the lid is not secured, it could fall open during the move and cause damage to the piano.
  5. Use proper equipment: Piano movers will use specialized equipment to move the piano, including dollies, straps, and ramps. Make sure that the movers are using the right equipment and that it is in good condition.
  6. Protect the piano: Cover the piano with a protective blanket or cover during the move to prevent scratches, dings, or other damage.
  7. Let the professionals do their job: During the move, it is best to let the professional movers do their job without interference. Do not try to help or move the piano yourself, as this could cause injury or damage to the piano.

By following these tips and working with professional piano movers, you can ensure that your piano is moved safely and without damage.

Learning The Piano Keyboard

Learning the piano keyboard.

Learning the piano keyboard is easier than you think. sure there are 88 keys, but only 12 notes (whole notes = white keys, sharps/flats = black keys) repeated in 8 octaves. Each octave starts in C and ends in B. Every C on the piano keyboard is the first white key before any (PAIR) of black keys, not to be mixed up with the three black keys in between each pair.  From the first white key before any pair of black keys, you can count the whole notes of each white key from left to right as so: C D E F G A B, and the next white key is C, and you are now one octave higher. (octave being a complete set of musical notes, Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti labeled in the same order as C D E F G A B. Its that easy.

Here are some illustrations to help clarify this information.
Learning the piano keyboard whole notes

As mentioned earlier, just about any piano you will come across has 8 octaves. Ever heard someone mention middle C. Middle C is the start of the Piano’s 4th Octave and middle Octave. Therefore middle C is commonly labeled as C4. CDEFGAB or Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si Do are the whole notes (white keys) of every octave in the piano. The black keys are considered sharps of the whole note (white key) to their left: C sharp D sharp F sharp G sharp and A sharp. They are also considered flats of the whole note to there right: D flat E flat G flat A flat and B Flat. There is no B sharp, C flat, E sharp or F flat.
Learning the piano keyboard octaves. C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8

Next Up, Ill share some tips on reading piano sheet music.

Thanks for reading and visit here for a piano moving quote.

Anthony opmovers.com