New to FFR? Say Hello Here!

[Jonzu]

Im totally a new player..

But still hi!

[justin_ator]

Hey guys, welcome! Always good to see some new faces around on FFR. Hope you enjoy your stay, feel free to ask around if you have any questions or need help with something.

[gold stinger]

Hi new players!

[Rukkbert]

IH

ps. read backwards

[travelingdp]

Hello, everyone, I'm travelingdp! I was active on ffr many years ago (2007-2010), and I recently decided to make a return. I'm excited to be back, and I can wait to dig deep into ffr once more! The stuff after this is a little long, so you don't have to read it unless you really want to lol.

A bit about myself:
I am a musician from Alabama. I am currently studying Music Education and Music Technology at my university. I also teach Music Technology classes for local middle and high schools year round. My primary instrument is trombone, my secondary is euphonium, and I play piano and percussion and sing (baritone) for fun. I also compose/arrange pieces for various ensembles. Long story short: music is my life.

A bit about my play style:
I play a one-handed three-finger style. I have tried making the switch to a two-hand spread, but haven't found something that's comfortable for me. In the meantime, I just play three-finger and map ASDF as alternates (in StepMania) so I can use my left hand for emergency Hand/Quad situations.

A bit about my play history:
I began playing ffr towards the end of my first year of high school. My friend introduced my to it during class one day. I had played DDR for a while at the time (and was relatively decent), so I figured ffr wouldn't be much of a problem for me. I sucked. It wasn't long before I got hooked; I played every day trying to get better. After a few years, my skill had greatly improved. I was pretty good (relatively, of course. I was never anywhere nears as good as many of you, whose skills still amaze me to this day). I felt that was a good point to call it a day; I was graduating and heading off to college, and I had finally reached a satisfying point in my ffr career. I took a couple years to focus on my studies, so I never got much of a chance to play ffr. I would still play DDR on my PS2 every time I visited home or if walked past an arcade in a mall, but that was about it. During the winter Holidays in 2012, my life changed when I developed a rare condition called Cholinergic Urticaria. This is basically a severe allergic reaction to sweat (or rather, to the neurotransmitter that triggers sweat release). This ruined physical activities for my. Many of the things I loved to do (running, climbing, Frisbee, performing, playing DDR, and eating spicy foods) now caused me physical pain throughout my body. It didn't help that I live in one of the hottest and most humid states in the country. A year passed, and I was still dealing with that condition, but I really wanted to get back into something I used to enjoy. I decided to download StepMania and have been playing for a few months now. This week, I decided to come back to ffr to see how things were going over here, and now I'm typing this long introduction on the forum, so yeah... That's pretty much it. I'm excited to be back and can't wait to socialize and play with you all!

-travelingdp-

[justin_ator]

Welcome back! If you have questions about anything just ask, always glad to help out.

What level of involvement do you have invested in the piano? I've always wanted to learn but have never had the time or commitment to do so.

[travelingdp]

Thanks!

As far as piano goes, I play mostly just for the purpose of keeping my reading and theory skills strong. I don't really give piano lessons myself (considering I'm not truly a pianist), but I'm always willing to help out anyone interested in learning.

First thing: you will need access to a piano/keyboard. If you already own one, great! If not, maybe you have a friend/relative/etc. that has one you can use, or check with your school's music department and see if they might let use their practice rooms/pianos. If none of those options work, then I would suggest buying your own. I would recommend finding a weighted, 88-key keyboard because that would provide the greatest benefit for you over time. However, a 61-key keyboard should be fine for learning purposes in most cases. I would also suggest finding a keyboard with USB connectivity (for use with some software I will mention later).

As far as learning goes, there are many routes you could take.

1) Playing by ear - this requires very little musical knowledge/skill but can be very effective, and many people start off this way. Pick a song you like, find where the notes are on the piano, and pick at it until it sounds the way you like.

2) Playing by sight - this method is not too common, but is somewhat similar to playing by ear. Synthesia is a great cross-platform software that allows users to connect a USB keyboard and play along with MIDI files. It is pretty much StepMania, but with 10 fingers and 88 keys. Synthesia is free, but you can pay to unlock certain features that may help with the learning experience (primarily, displaying sheet music that you can read along with). Google search Synthesia and it will be the first result.

3) "Textbook" learning - this method is often seen as the "most drab" but will get you great results. Visit your local music store or search online for a beginning piano book. You can even find plenty of free piano resources online. Slowly go through them to make sure you nail the basics/fundamentals. It takes patience, but makes learning at more advanced levels so much easier. This method often goes hand-in-hand with taking piano lessons.

4) Taking piano lessons - pretty much the same as the textbook method but with somebody there to help guide you. Check your school's music department and see if any piano instructors or students would be willing to give you some piano lessons
(be prepared to pay for them, though).

Those are the main methods I'd recommend. I'd also recommend learning some music theory. This will help greatly with your reading skills. Teoria is a wonderful free resource for learning theory. I would recommend going through the lessons in the tutorial section as well as trying out some of the exercises. Google search Teoria and it will be the first result.

Hope this all helps! If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

-travelingdp-

[MosaicMan3]

I've been playing for a little while now, but figured I'd finally say hello on the forums!

[Razor]

Welcome!

[DemonSlayer112]

a

EYFRIFU

[nksteam]

Hi guys. This is nksteam(you can call me NKs).
Vertex Series is one of my favorite series, and the BETA got me here.
I'm an amatuar BEMANI player in Reflec Beat Colette and Sound Voltex II, but 4key playing experience(with Dancing Onigiri, flash 5key/7key from Japan) is over 8 years.
I was in osu! as Shino since 2010(although I quit it 6 months ago) and mapped some custom taiko beatmaps.

(Oh, and I surprised you are here, Gezo)

[NekoGirl23]

Not exactly new to the site, just never touched the forums before. Hello Everyone!

[_iMpuLse]

THIS GAME IS AWESOME. *runs away dancing*

[blindreper1179]

Hey new guys! Don't be afraid to stick around!

[_iMpuLse]

Yeah, I hope my comment didn't give people the wrong impression. This game IS awesome. I just like to run and dance. And do this:

[kaypooma]

I know I'm not new, but I've never posted anything.

So hello everyone.

[GermanHerps]

Hey there all

[Nick Skyline]

Originally Posted by GermanHerps

Hey there all

Originally Posted by kaypooma

I know I'm not new, but I've never posted anything.

So hello everyone.

I'm not that used to greetings myself, but...hello, you two, and welcome to the rhythm gaming utopia that is FFR. Enjoy yourselves here.

[Abaxvahl]

Hello, I am new

[dAnceguy117]

welcome! enjoy your stay!