DDR Lesson Two!
Rhythm and Beat
Just from the name
of it, you'd figure that Dance Dance Revolution is a game where you dance along
with the music and flashing lights... Well, you couldn't be more right! As a
matter of fact, being able to use the lights and music along with the arrows
will help you to become better at DDR. That is what this section is all about.
The first thing
that you're going to want to do is while you are picking your song, take a
moment to listen to the song and it's rhythm. Get a felling for this speed and
keep it in your head while you prepare to play. Like I said before, if you can
tap your foot to the music, then you can move your feet too the music too!
Arrows will appear
either on the beat (quarter notes), in between those beats (eighth notes), or
even in between those beats (sixteenth notes). As songs get progressively harder
and harder, you'll notice that more and more arrows will appear within a bar of
music. One thing to notice with the arrows is that whichever beat the arrow
falls on, the rotation of the colors of the arrows corresponds to that beat. ...
If you don't know what I mean, observe someone playing and listen to the music,
watch the arrows, and also listen to their feet hitting the panels. As odd as
this may sound, it should help you in getting the timing right for yourself.
Everything comes together, from the lights, music, and arrow color, use all of
these to your advantage in keeping a steady, cool beat.
Here’s something
to try… When listening to one of the DDR songs, bob along with it! That’s
right, bust bounce your body along with the beat. Or… if you just feel
completely silly doing this, then tap or something, anything to get yourself
accustomed to the surroundings while you play. Trust me on this one! It helps!
Once you’ve got rhythm down, then all you’ve got to worry about is the
mechanics of your feet and body. So to make a long story REALLY short,
you need to understand the rhythm of your songs before you begin to get into the
REAL dance! … Until next
lesson…
~Frost~