Bernard, you've expressed exactly what I do when facing a new tune. I have to read the music into my head to know how it should sound, and then get it from ny head to my instrument (in my case, voice or melodeon). Only when I've got my head around it and put the printed music out of sight can I begin to play it anything like properly. It's good to know I'm not the only one who does it like that!

But there are many ways to learn and play, and everyone has to find their own. I'd say that relying entirely on the dots is as limiting as not being able to read them at all, and that some sort of mixture works best for most people.

Marje