Sightreading

[meli]

I think I have an unusual problem. I am a good sight-reader, a skill that comes naturally to me. I don't know why but expression seems to come easily when I first sight-read a piece!  Its like I understand it when I first see it! Its at a slower tempo, with a few (well-covered) slips but still musical. However once I start to concentrate on note accuracy, tempo, i.e. polishing up the ugly bits, the expression just doesn't come with the ease I first felt when I sight-read it !  For this reason, I love sight-reading anything just to hear how it sounds, but *secretly can't be bothered to really LEARN it. (thank god I have a teacher!) 

 Sometimes, I wonder what is the use of having good sight-reading skills? Does it really help you play better in the long run? I heard that people with good memorization skills have better technique than good sight-readers. Is this true? Well, I feel that it doesn't pay off in the end, sightreading I mean   

[twinkletoesfaery]

I think sight-reading skill is one of the most important.  Am not good at sight-reading and I wish that I am.  I don't think that people who have good memorization skills have better technique.  Bollocks to that because I have good memorization skills and in order for me to play a certain piece perfectly I have to play it over and over again and memorize it.  I must say that good memory is very useful when it comes to taking exams and performing, especially for long pieces, you have to at least memorize 80% of it, a little bird told me.

Sight-reading a piece is most exciting indeed!

[alzado]

If you take the implication of "sight reading" as being good at reading music from the page without other assistance (teacher, recordings, etc.)  -- then I would say it is valuable indeed.

Most especially so when a person plays a number of pieces never heard.  This is my own case, since I'm something of a loner and many pieces I am interested in playing are not ready at hand in the form of recordings.

Like many others on the forum, I will take up a collection of pieces by MacDowell  or whoever, and I like to just page through and start playing things.  This is impossible if a person either cannot read music, or has very little self-confidence in his/her ability to do so.

Some on the board suggest that a piano student acquire a CD and listen to a piece countless times before attempting to learn it.  Some teachers will play a piece through for the student before assigning it.  I have no argument with that.  I seems to be easier with often-played repertoire where recordings are abundant and most teachers are well familiar with the piece. 

And with all this prepping (records, teacher playing for student, etc) perhaps it makes the piece more accessible for some.  But it can also mask a student's deficiencies.

But there is a great freedom to being able to take a piece and work it up with nothing but a piano, your fingers, and the sheet music.  You sound as though you are in that place.  Good!

Did I really address your question, or did I misunderstand it?

Good luck--