Beginners DDR 4th and 5th Songs

[kainemaxwell]

After a fun trip to the Willowbrook Mall I discovered the DDR 4th and 5th Mix machines there and may give DDR a try finally (or I'll wait to buy DDRMax and a pad and try it at home as not to embrass myself).

What are some recommended songs from 4th or 5th Mix for a beginner like me then?

[davidbrit2]

Let's see, these ones are pretty good...

4th Mix:
Boom Boom Dollar (NOT KOGG3 Mix) - Practice not returning to the center.
El Ritmo Tropical - After you're feeling confident, this one will help you get used to long strings of quarter notes.
Drop the Bomb - Same as above, but a bit more relentless

5th Mix:
17 Sai - Even on Trick, it's not too hard. It's a good warmup.
Tribal Dance - Play this one to get used to noticing that 8th notes are colored slightly differently from the quarter notes. This skill is essential.
Baby Baby Gimme Your Love - You'll need to get used to playing painfully slow songs. Try to avoid hitting everything early, which is usually a problem.
Remeber Me - Same thing.

And most importantly, find somebody with a US home version, and play the Lesson Mode. Follow the demonstration exactly as it shows you to step, as this will help you get used to different stepping patterns. I was surprised by how much it helped me.

Obviously, only move up to some of the tougher songs when you're confident with songs at a particular difficulty level. Just work up slowly, and don't frustrate yourself by constantly trying stuff you can't do. Just fail occasionally. ;-)

[kainemaxwell]

I tried it with 1,2,3,4,007 and kinda sucked at it. What's the timing for hitting the arrows on the dance pad?

[davidbrit2]

How do you mean? You should just step with the beat of the music as soon as the arrows line up with the guides. I use the Greats to help determine if I'm stepping early or late. If you're referring to something else, let me know.

[kainemaxwell]

So the Guides are the 4 directional arrows at the top of the screen, just stpe on the pads before the yline up to there.

[davidbrit2]

Yeah. You want to try and hit the step at the exact moment that it overlaps the guides. Easier said than done, sometimes. ;-)

You should definitely run through Lesson mode on a home version. It will give you enough tips to get you started.

[kainemaxwell]

When i get the cash I plan to buy the home versions. :)

[davidbrit2]

Go straight for DDR MAX US for PS2. It should keep you busy. Get the original DDR USA for classic songs, and possibly Konamix "just because." Disney Mix has just enough novelty to make it worth it.

[WiseSalesman]

Personally, I'd skip DDR USA and Disney Mix unless you can get them cheap.

By the way, I placed second in a tech torunament on our 8th mix today! Woo!

As for good beginners songs, just look at the foot rating and do 4's and below. If you can't handle 4's, then do 3's and so on.

Oh, and when the time comes to get used to blinding speed....try afronova on light.

[davidbrit2]

There was an Extreme tournament in Cleveland and I wasn't there? Argh! I need to find some local tournaments...