"...Shouldn’t you write it out to make it easier to transpose? (it’s not written out in the book.) For me it’s a little tough to transpose some of these Hanon exercises in my head in realtime!..."

You took the words out of my mouth. Writing it out on score paper--- including the fingering, which is not going to be the same for every key--- is not a heavy chore, and could be very helpful.

"...So in essence, is it possible for you to listen to too much music so that it spoils your musical appetite so to speak..."

In music as in food, a balanced and varied 'diet,' taken in moderation, is the best way to go. So says Julia Child: "Eat whatever you want--- but not too much." 'Eating' too much of anything can make you sick of it. Urping up anything is vile, but Hanon urp is the vilest of all. And a Hanon hangover is worse than mixing the grain and the grape: the French (who know--- and after all, Hanon was French) say: "Never."

Learn it in C (the original notated key). Move your fingers a half-step up. Play with the same fingering in all keys (which is not really necessary, Db and E will suffice).

Hanon in all keys

Playing Hanon in each key? Do I use the same fingering I use to practice scales and simply start on Bb, for example? This requires that I adjust all the fingering for each key. Pretty time consuming! Is this the correct approach? Chuck Leavell even recommends this method.

I don't think about Hanon.

I use the same fingering for all of the keys (the major keys, anyway - I don't practice them in the minor keys). I get the idea that is what most people do, those who practice them in different keys.

The exercises only make sense if you _keep the fingering_, and move the hand up one semitone, or one tone, or three semi-tones . . .

. . . So if you're playing in C#, and the original pattern begins on C in C major, your thumb goes _on the C#_ when you start.

This is not "normal fingering" for "normal pieces", but it's just right to develop your skills. All kinds of awkward positions will get their day in the sun.<g>

It also gives you transposition practice, as a side benefit.


. Charles