I can write complex pieces with mouse, but can barely play on actual piano

[steambc]

Hello,
I’m expecting to be soundly spanked by the veterans, but I have a few odd questions about learning piano/reading notation. Here goes:

1) I find that I can write fairly sophisticated and smooth-flowing pieces with my mouse on a piano roll in a DAW, but can’t walk up to a piano and play. As a fairly accomplished guitarist I can pretty much play any melody from memory, but mostly without chords. I find it extraordinarily difficult to learn to read notation, and seem to have a mental block when it comes to learning the C clef. In short, I would love to be able to learn to read, but I have such difficulty comprehending. Yet, the compositions I write on the computer are considered by most people to be impressive. They can’t believe I can’t walk up to a piano and play them.
So, question one is, have any of you seen this phenomenon before, and are there ways to overcome my apparent mental slowness in learning to read?

2) I notice that in performance, most pianists are reading the music even though I’m thinking they must know it by heart. Why then are they reading as they perform? Would they be able to play the piece if someone were to take the sheets away? Are they using the notation as a rough guide, or as an essential part of the performance?

3) I’m wondering if any of you had an extremely difficult time learning to read music, and are there any established methods to overcome this mental block (for lack of a better term)?

The source of my confusion is this uncanny ability I have to imagine a complex composition and to punch the notes into the computer in a stream-of-conscious fashion, yet I’m so bloody mentally challenged with actually reading music.

I recognize that my questions may well be unwelcome here, as I know they are fairly strange, but they are submitted in good faith and with a desire to learn and to understand why I have these deficiencies. Thanks to anyone who answers.

[lelle]

It's always OK to ask questions mate, don't worry.

1) Yeah, practice reading a lot and you will get better One day at a time. It's not wierd at all if you can come up with music but can't read, those are separate skills. Could a person come up with a natural and engaging dialogue scene for a play even if they weren't able to read? Of course they could. It should help if you study piano a bit, playing simple pieces regularly. It could also be a good idea to get a teacher.

2) Do you? Typically in classical music, pianists perform without sheet music, unless they are playing in an ensamble. So yeah, we typically memorize an hour of music or more if we are to perform in public. The notation is a guide when you learn the piece, sort of like a movie script. It tells you which notes to play and has some information about dynamics, character, emotion, etc, but not everything, so you have to apply your own creativity and understanding to choose tempo, color etc based on what's written in the score.

3) Practice a lot and you'll get better For me, the skill has naturally evolved over time since all classical piano music is learned from sheet music.

[00range]

It is perfectly normal to have strengths and weaknesses in an area like music. Some are more creative, some memorize better, some are great readers.

To improve in any area, you have to have consistent, mindful practice.

For reading, try picking up a copy of a book called Super Sight-Reading Secrets by Howard Richman. I used it when I was trying to improve my sight-reading and it is pretty comprehensive for such a little book, and it doesn't assume you know anything.

[geopianoincanada]

My seeing eye dog and white cane help when I try to read music.

In all seriousness, as poor as my eyesight is, it's been an uphill slog to develop any kind of sightreading skill. Some days are better for me than others. Persistence is the key. Keep at it and eventually it will come.