Should I memozire everything?

[countrymath]

I'm reading CC's book, and i got i doubt.

I usually works with 2 pieces simultaneously, one classical and one popular (generally easier then the classical). Now, i'm memorizing the classical and reading (HS, then HT) the popular. If i memorize both, i will lose my progress on reading?

[becky8898]

No , dont memorize everything. 


Cheers, Becky

[m1469]

Whether you "should" or not depends on what you want.  I don't know if you will lose your progress on reading, though memorizing is something like its own muscle which needs to be used and strengthened.  Memorizing doesn't just exist in a vacuum though, it is linked to as many things as you understand about music, but all the same you want to practice putting it all together in a way that helps you to play pieces by memory.

If reading is your goal, it's a similar thing in that it's a kind muscle that you want to use and practice.  I memorize all of my pieces, but I am also regularly sightreading now, too, as a kind of "separate" muscle group (though that doesn't exist in a vacuum, either).  Ideally, aside from my main repertoire, I would work my memorization muscle with a kind of program of very short and relatively easy pieces (for me) each day.  I'm not that organized yet.

[cmg]

I'm reading CC's book, and i got i doubt.

 If i memorize both, i will lose my progress on reading?

Well, some pianists, who claim to be rather poor sight-readers, memorize everything immediately.  Memorizing has distinct advantages, the biggest one is that to memorize a piece you REALLY have to know it from every vantage point.  The second prominent reason to memorize is that truly difficult pieces, such as Debussy's "L'isle joyeuse," actually need "choreography" in order to play them and you can't have your eyes glued to the page to do this.  The damned thing is nearly unplayable if it's not memorized, in my opinion.

But, agreeing always with our dear Becky, you should also keep your reading skills up by working through tons of repertoire without making an effort to memorize it.  Play through a hymnal, cover to cover, for starters.

[fleetfingers]

To improve sightreading, you need to read new, unfamiliar things every day. Only play through it once or twice, then move on to the next thing. After you've cycled through a stack of music, you can go back and do it again, because you've probably forgotten it since then, and it will be 'like new'. You may even recognize things you've played before, and that is a good thing.
Memorization is a separate skill and tool that a musician should have as well. That doesn't mean you need to memorize everything, but you should be able to play some things from memory.

[countrymath]

Thank you all!

[birba]

Just as an aside.  I, personally, don't really know the piece unless I've memorized it.  Since I have a good sight-reading ability,  I find myself sometimes playing with the music in front of me very superficially.  Lately, I memorize immediately.  It goes slower, of course, but the work is all-encompassing.

[pianisten1989]

I had a problem with memorizing, so that I got lost basically every time I played a piece. Because of that, I had to memorize kind of every note when I play a new piece. Now it's better, but I still memorize as much as possible - not only the notes, that is...

[kelly_kelly]

I'm a quick memorizer and probably a bit under average sight reader here. What would be ideal in my opinion is to memorize solo music, because as others have pointed out, it's very difficult to play some things while looking at the page, and not to memorize ensemble music. The only reason my reading skills aren't abysmal (since I never bother using them on the piano) is that I also play viola in several orchestras and chamber groups, for which I can't memorize.