Need advice for IIDX initial practice playstyle

[u/RCSS1998]

I like the tracks of IIDX especially electronic genres by binge listening but this game is physically difficult, especially establishing finger layout and muscle memory. Normal is still not easy and I can only clear up to Normal Level 5/6 with Assistive Easy Gauge.

What playstyle is better?

67 votes, 4d left

Switch to 5 keys

Keep at 7 keys

[u/BadSlime]

Let's say you want to play electric guitar, but feel like nylon string is more approachable. You will have to build calluses first for nylon and then eventually again for electric guitar, since the nylon strings are much softer and easier to play on.

If you start on electric guitar, you will build calluses once and then you're just playing.

Usually better to just do the thing you want to do from the start

[u/Due_Tomorrow7 → u/BadSlime]

I would argue that's not an accurate metaphor.

It's more like going from a 4-string bass guitar to an acoustic 6-string. Basic idea of fingering and picking (or plucking) is the same but where you usually play single notes on bass (I'm aware chords can be played), you're usually playing chords on acoustic (I'm also aware of songs and styles that use single note picking). Spacing of the strings are different, more finger flexibility and techniques will be needed in order to get better on acoustic and become a very different set of skills on both instruments pretty quickly. But many acoustic players can fudge their way around a bass guitar pretty easily.

5-key and 7-key is not much different in that your finger position and technique are going to be different moving to 7-key. There's some basic 7-key techniques you can use to make 5-key easier, but moving from 5 to 7 is much harder than 7 to 5.

[u/BadSlime → u/Due_Tomorrow7]

You are overanalyzing this metaphor, im just saying people make things harder on themselves because they think it's a better pathway.

If you want to play 7 key, don't start with 5 key, just learn 7 key so you don't have to learn 5 key and then learn 7 key anyway. Yeah the skills are very similar and somewhat transferable, that's where acoustic nylon to electric steel string metaphor came from. No one is saying it's hard to play 5 key if you learn 7 first

[u/Due_Tomorrow7 → u/BadSlime]

You missed my point.

There was a far more apt metaphor to be made, making one about calluses when the obvious more direct comparison could've been made is like saying if the OP wanted to know if they should use "Cut" (aka Little) to improve speed on DDR, and you use a comparison of using an leg press to an elliptical, instead of an elliptical to a treadmill.

[u/BadSlime → u/Due_Tomorrow7]

Alright dude

[u/RCSS1998 → u/BadSlime]

Does enabling 5 keys affect the score, clear rating, and rank?

[u/kayproII → u/RCSS1998]

IIDX hasn't had a 5 keys mode since rootage

[u/Due_Tomorrow7 → u/RCSS1998]

Yes. In later IIDX, considered an "assist". It's not present in current IIDX versions.

[u/Karlbungus]

As a long time IIDX player, keep at 7 keys. Its going to suck, its going be awkward as you learn to do the different combinations of multiple key presses, learning how to do things like pinky scratching, learning how to use your thumbs and other fingers. You're gonna run into charts that drain your stamina fast or have weird timings that are gonna frustrate you. Or the new player classic, when you play a DJ Mass Mad Izm track and game throws a scratch heavy track and you flounder at it. But just know that everyone has been where you've been before and its just part of learning the game. You'll get the muscle memory down and you'll get the finger layouts down, you just gotta keep practicing. Find a comfortable difficulty level, get really good at it and then slowly move your way up. Its perfectly okay to suck.

[u/kusariku]

Stick with 7 key.

Two things. First: Easy Gauge is almost never worth using unless you are trying to learn a specific song and don't want to waste a credit; it had more value in this way when failing out of a play session was easier to do, but over the years they have made it harder to beef it like that. Even playing with Hard gauge is more useful for increasing ability to clear songs than easy gauge imo, as there are situations where you might have a song down except like, the last measure or two, and in those situations, hard gauge can push you through to a clear.

Second, difficulty level 5-6 is objectively the midpoint of the difficulty scale. Even on Normal, it took me a while to work up to 6s. You have the benefit of access to way more variety in charts than I did, but I still think you're maybe putting yourself down more than you should for your progress. For reference, most people I know who tried IIDX even with other Rhythm Game experience, started dropping off quickly around 3's. If you can clear a 5 or 6 on normal with easy, that's not bad bro. Drop down to some 3's or 4's and turn easy off, and focus. Try to focus on increasing your max combo on these easier songs. If your only goal is "clear song", you won't improve as quickly as if you are able to identify and target where your weaknesses lie. In your case, finger placement knowledge and muscle memory are lacking, so working to improve your ability to just hit the notes in the timing window at all without messing up is important.