Is sight reading an end in itself for me?

[passionfruit]

As a starting point to this chain of questioning, I started to want to learn to sight read better than I do now. As in, as fluently as English.

So I started to consider. If I focus on sight reading, what intrinsic benefit does this give me? Does it really give me an understanding of music? Is sight reading an end in itself? What lies beyond? Should I short cut to that beyond, instead of learning to sight read? Is it composing, or is it playing by ear, that I really want? Might I discover that sight reading doesn't give me the super knowledge I wanted? Or is the consumption of musical sheets actually linked in many ways that gives me an advantage in these areas?

I have been told that sight reading is a mental exercise that has a lot to do with understanding already existing structures; i.e. music theory, and sight reading is using your extensive knowledge of this to be able to simplify and yet instantly see the nuances of a piece.

So is sight reading a bigger task than just a lot of indiscriminate practice, and does it involve a conscious, structured investigation of harmony? Or can I pick that up just by a wide range of practice material? Are there any boundaries between the skills of sight reading and music theory?

Maybe if I get more insights on this, I can decide specifically what I want to achieve. But then again, perhaps it's better to go for a general statement of what I want to achieve: "Everything"? What steps should I take inside of everything, what is encouraging to achieve one bit at a time, how can I structure this interlinking mass of different aims; sight reading, theoretical understanding, playing by ear, technical skill, understanding and appreciation of musical ideas and literature, improvisation, composition?

The following is some extra information... musings...

I completed Grade 7 a while ago (I think two years) but I don't know about Grade 8.

What's the point of music? I'm not sure...

As I write I am on the verge of declaring that I don't think I find anything intrinsically enjoyable about music.

But as I reflect I see this is clearly wrong. Music has a strong effect on me. I listen to music from a video game that made a strong impression on me and it reminds me of all the feelings that I experienced playing it.

I'm learning the third movement of the Moonlight Sonata. It's coming along fine. But I was struck by a few questions to myself...

What potential do I have hidden for getting better at sight reading, thereby learning pieces faster? (Though I can read reasonably now)
What is behind the piece? Why does the music work? Can books on harmony and composition explain how this particular piece was created? Can I make music myself? Do I want to make music myself?

Perhaps I am just struggling with questions I know the answer to: Maybe, I want to do these things, but I feel too afraid to take the time to make progress in something.

Maybe my question is 'Is this the right medium of music for me?'.

I would like to say that I have a deep appreciation for the nuances of classical music. I would like to be able to say that I think video game music is too simplistic. But that would be to deny the simple power of music...

[bachbrahmsschubert]

The majority of your concerns seem to be inner conflicts that strangers on an internet forum cannot help you with. I don't know who you are, I can only go by what you have written above; in that respect, you seem discouraged and stressed (let's put aside the sight reading for now). For me, music is the one and only thing that can alleviate the stress in my life. I can enter my own little world and no one can dictate how things are run. It shelters me, and for those 10 minutes that I'm playing the overture to Bach's French Overture, or the 20 minutes I'm reading through Brahms' intermezzos, nothing matters but the music. If I want to crescendo where Brahms clearly states to diminish, who is going to tell me that I'm wrong besides the music? You are with yourself, and no one can interfere. It's liberating, to say the least.

The most important question that you need to answer first is "what does music mean to me?" I can confidently tell you that unless you are 100% dedicated to being the best that you can be, you will not improve. If you doubt yourself and get discouraged, the brain will not and cannot mature; whether that be sight reading, Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, knitting, writing, reading, whatever. If you tell yourself that you suck, or compare yourself to others your age, you are cheating yourself from such a valuable experience in the world of music. Work at your own pace and do the best that YOU can do without worrying about the kid down the street who can sight read Liszt's piano concerto.

Now, with all of that nonsense out of the way, to your question about sight reading. I am a huge music theory nerd that has studied advanced chromatic harmony, 20th century techniques, counterpoint, blah blah blah, and I can tell you that while my piano playing has improved 2389471328094712809347% because I've studied these areas of music, it has improved my sight reading very little. I am able to identify chords and patterns very quickly when analyzing, however that information is late getting to my fingers. Will a background in theory help? The answer is yes, but each individual is different.

Sight reading can also be attributed to knowing the nuances of the composer. Once you've studied enough 19th century music, even reading through Chopin will seem predictable.  If you're ever given a sight reading exam, there is a reason they cover up the composer's name. I have a tendency to ramble and get off topic, so I'll end things with this:

There are many many aspects to improving your sight reading. Most to do with technique and the ability of your brain to relay information to your fingers, but I urge you to not just sit at the piano and sight read for 15 minutes a day. So much in music is learned away from your instrument, do not neglect that.

I hope this helped a little bit in leading you in the right direction. May you quickly find sufficient answers to your soul's burning questions.

Best wishes,

Edit: Like always, I think of something to say after I post. INTERVALS, INTERVALS, INTERVALS! For me, mastering intervals is the one thing that has GREATLY improved my below average sight reading. Again, I cannot stress enough that every person is different. Intervals will be one of the first things you learn from any theory class. I tell every theory student I tutor this: the first thing you have to master are intervals and key signatures. I can't tell you how beneficial it is for me to be able to see a Major 6th or augmented 4th and can immediately play that interval above or below any note. Though (yes, I'm going to stress this again) everyone's brain works differently. You won't find a way that works if you don't experiment.

[dcstudio]

Is sight reading important? well of course it is, is it the end all be all of playing the piano? not even close.  Sight reading trains your fingers to move through sight--the sight of the note causes your fingers to move. This leaves out your ear--the most important part of the equation.  Since we use our ears to hear music it would make sense that our ears should trigger our fingers to play, not just the sight of a note on a staff.  Students who excel at sight reading often times are among the most non-musical players around.  They spend so much effort trying to "see" the music they forget to "listen" to what they are playing.  Meanwhile, the student who many teachers would call an "ear player," may take longer to figure out the notes on the staff, but will produce a much more musical result. 
Yes, sight reading is important, I get paid to do it all the time, but students should remember that creating music is the ultimate goal. 

[passionfruit]

Thanks bachbrahmsschubert, I will digest your words (I was aware that I was asking questions that were personal and perhaps you could not answer fully, as you said).

And to dcstudio, I am actually questioning the definition and range of what sight reading is- perhaps sight reading is also being able to look at the notes and hear the music in your head- which would give you more confidence in what you are playing, giving you a better ability to memorise a section by section on the spot?

[mike_lang]

This leaves out your ear--

Not in good sight reading!

[nanabush]

Agreed.  Sight reading is made MUCH easier if you know what the passage will sound like before you play it.  You can also hear if, as you sight read, if you are missing an accidental, a rhythmic component, or if you flat out played a wrong chord.  It almost lets you predict what comes up without stopping to name the note (in music that isn't completely ape sh*t all over the piano banging random clusters  )

[mike_lang]

Agreed.  Sight reading is made MUCH easier if you know what the passage will sound like before you play it.  You can also hear if, as you sight read, if you are missing an accidental, a rhythmic component, or if you flat out played a wrong chord.  It almost lets you predict what comes up without stopping to name the note (in music that isn't completely ape sh*t all over the piano banging random clusters  )

Yes, and this is why ear training and sight reading are inextricably linked!