Piano Moving Online Course

The Piano Technician Academy offers a comprehensive piano moving course designed for both novices and experienced movers, teaching safe and effective techniques perfected through years of collaboration with various piano moving companies. This interactive e-learning course includes four lessons complete with videos, images, and exercises to ensure students learn the safest methods for moving upright and grand pianos. Upon completion and passing the quizzes at the end of each lesson, students earn a Certified Piano Mover (CPM) certificate, fully preparing them for real-world piano moving challenges.

$99.00
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$99.00

Lesson Plan

Lesson 1

Tools of the Trade

Tools Needed

  • Dollies
  • Pads/moving blanket options
  • Straps
  • Types of straps for different purposes
  • Transportation vehicles
  • Types of trucks/ trailers
  • Ramps
  • Lyre brace
  • Stretch wrap & rubber bands
  • Skid boards/ piano boards
  • Piano moving box for stairs
  • Hand held tools

Lesson 2

Protecting Yourself, the Customer and your Business

Protecting yourself

  • Footwear
  • Back brace
  • Knowing your limits

Protecting your customers home

  • Lipped stairs
  • Tile/ marble/ travertine floors
  • Wood floors

Protecting Your Business

  • Business insurance
  • Insurance terms
  • General liability insurance/ business liability insurance
  • Cargo insurance
  • Preexisting damage/ liability forms
  • Laws

Lesson 3

Moving Upright Pianos
  • Tools needed
  • Putting piano on dolly
  • Putting piano on skid board
  • Tight turns/ hallways
  • Moving the piano up a flight of stairs
  • Moving the piano down a flight of stairs
  • Securing the piano into the transportation vehicle
  • Rare findings

Lesson 4

Moving a Grand Piano
  • Tools needed
  • Securing piano to skid board
  • How to remove legs and lyre
  • Packaging legs, bench and lyre for transport
  • Moving piano on skid board and dolly
  • Moving the piano up a flight of stairs
  • Moving the piano down a flight of stairs
  • Tight turns/ hallways
  • Securing the piano into the transportation vehicle
  • Rare findings

FAQ

What is a Certified Piano Mover?

A Certified Piano Mover (CPM) is someone who has taken our online piano moving course and has passed his or her exams with at least an 80% or higher. Once the student has done this they are presented with a certificate and are legally allowed to advertise with our Piano Moving Seal.
What tools will I need and where do I get them?

Obviously having the right equipment for the job is crucial when moving pianos. All the tools we use in the videos are explained in detail in the course itself. With the exception of the Lyre brace (sold direct by PTA) most of these tools can be purchased from standard moving supply houses such as New Haven.
How long does the course take?

The course is self paced allowing students to study when it is convenient for them. PTA does however require that you finish the piano moving course within 3 months of initial enrollment. We recommend spending at least 2-3 hours on each lesson's written material and then about 15-20 hours practicing each lesson's exercises. That being said students should plan to spend about 68-92 hours on the entire course. Most students choose to do one lesson a week but there is no required time frame for each lesson.
How much does the course cost?

The course itself is $99 and includes access to the online learning material for 3 months as well as printable/downloadable PDFs of the material to keep for future reference.

Group Rates are available upon request. For more info please contact support@pianotechnicianacademy.com with the number of students you wish to enroll.
Does PTA offer payment plans?

Payment plans are now available to USA students via PayPal's "PayPal Credit" program. Students subject to credit approval. 6 months free with no interest is offered to most students. To find out more about this program, please check with Paypal prior to enrolling in the course.
How much do piano movers make?

An average piano moving company in the USA will charge about $100-$150 for uprights and $150-$225 for grands/baby grands. These prices typically are calculated for moves with no more than 30 miles between the pick up and drop off location and do not include price increases for stairs or gravel driveways. Most movers charge about $12-$15 a step when stairs are involved.