Moving your expensive and valued musical instrument a long way requires knowledge and skill. As a musician, you don’t want to damage your means of entertaining, writing and even potentially making an income. Despite the obvious expense of repair or replacement, your instrument is a part of who you are, and there’s likely an amount of sentiment attached to it.

A few basic guidelines govern how you move an instrument, especially a heavy one. Take time to plan the move and equip yourself with the best tools to avoid mistakes like these.

1. Moving a Heavy Instrument in One Piece

Disassemble or dismantle a heavy musical instrument for easier transportation. You can take most of them apart, although doing so can be an involved process. Nevertheless, transporting separate parts over long distances may prove safer for the piece.

For example, you can remove a piano’s lid, string plate, action and keyboard for safer storage while moving. Hire a professional piano dismantler if necessary.

2. Going Ahead Without Plotting a Suitable Route

If you don’t plot your route first, the instrument might jam in doorways or stairwells, causing unnecessary damage or even injury if it falls. Use a tape measure to ensure that your path is hazard-free and allow for seamless transfer to the moving truck.

Be sure to remove household items from the path and wrap the instrument in blankets to reduce dents or scratches to the instrument or your home during the move.

3. Avoid Skimping on a Furniture Dolly

Accidents are more likely to happen without a heavy-duty furniture dolly to ensure your instrument’s safety and your own. The item’s weight means it carries the capacity for physical injury.

A furniture dolly is perfect for sliding under bulky items and moving around corners and through doorways. Without it, you’ll likely make the mistake of scratching your instrument or damaging its corners or surface.

3. Sidestep a Carefree Attitude

You may be a person who wants to get things done without fuss. Rein in this attitude when you move heavy musical apparatus. Ensure you have friends to assist you when you move, and wear gloves for protection and grip.

Use blankets to load your instrument onto the dolly. If you have enough help with your move, you can likely get by without strapping the heavy load to the dolly, as long as others hold it steady as you push it to its new location on your moving vehicle.

4. Don’t Do Everything Yourself

Even if you have safely gotten your instrument to the moving truck, consider allowing professional movers to take it from there. You may have decided not to dismantle the instrument.

In that case, these experts have the straps, ties, pulleys and everything else to ensure your precious music maker loads into the moving truck without problems, arrives safely at its destination and lands comfortably back on terra firma on arrival. Long-distance hauls are difficult for the inexperienced at the best of times, so let the pros do their jobs.

5. Don’t Neglect Any Smaller Instruments

Heavier instruments provide more moving difficulties, but you also have to take special care with smaller ones. While guitars, violins, saxophones and many others come in cases, they only have a modicum more protection than large pieces like pianos. If they’re going on a moving truck, whether in cases or not, you should use suitable packaging materials to protect them for the trip’s duration.

Fill in any spaces in a case with packing peanuts and wrap the instrument in bubble wrap. Use more wrapping to cover the exposed case and protect it against bumping, jolting or falling during the journey. Ensure your precious instrument is labeled “handle with care” or “fragile,” which prevents moving teams from stacking other items above it. They will also strap it in a safe position.

6. Forget About Stress on the Road

Once you’ve packed everything, it’s time to destress and forget about what might happen to your instrument during the journey, whether it’s behind you as you drive or in the moving vehicle you’re following. You’ve ensured you’ve packed what you can as well as you can, or have confidence in your expert moving team.

Enjoy the road trip with a music playlist that best fits your travels while enjoying the passing scenery. You’ve avoided the mistakes and done the best you can.

Arriving on the Other Side

Once your road trip is complete and your priceless instrument is safely unwrapped or reassembled, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Be sure to remember the tips that saw it reach its destination without damage or undue stress.

The process will no longer seem as difficult as it was, and all the worries will be worth it when you can make music again.

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Don't make these 5 Mistakes when moving your Instruments long-distance