Music within vs. sight reading

[darkaegis]

Hi all.. I am sure this is a problem that everyone runs into.

There are pieces of music that I enjoy that I can play from memory because I can hear the music in my head as I play it and there are pieces that I enjoy listening to that I just can make stick in my head. I can play Chopin and other chordal music from memory but pieces like many of the Bach inventions become just exercises in sight reading because I just cannot feel where the piece is going.

Is this just a memorization issue?

Should I just focus on the music that comes freely, I don't think it is a problem with counterpoint because I can hear music like the art of fugue in my head without a recording playing.

Thanks in advance.

[alzado]

I find it much easier to play a piece when I can hear it in my head.  I have been playing some sheet music of popular songs recently, including movie themes.  My right hand is almost on autopilot, and I mainly am paying attention to my left hand.

It is much more difficult, I think, to sight read sheet music when you have never heard the piece before.  But satisfying in its way.

Best luck--

[thierry13]

Read the music in your head, it'll do the same job as if you would have heard it before.

[keyofc]

It probably depends on your goals and if you are still in college if you have to be concerned about it.  I hope this makes sense.
But the music that speaks to me - or the music that I write - seems to come over my hands like water.  I don't think about it hardly at all.  I don't even know what the next song will be when I'm playing somewhere. 
Of course, if I'm playing with someone else - I have to approach it differently. 
But I can take certain pieces (very easy music)  and try to memorize it, and it just  takes an incredible amount of work.  I don't know - I think there's something in the brain that just doesn't grab certain types of music for me.
When I'm playing the piano - I relax.  I could not memorize one of Bach's inventions easily either.  IN fact, I never have.  It doesn't seem to go anywhere for me either.  They just don't seem to get imbedded into my memory.