I'm also horrible at jumpstreams compared to everything else. This is what I've done to somewhat improve thus far:
1) Played as many high BPM JS songs I can find. (Generally played them with little success)
2) Jumped in to a slower BPM JS song that I also found difficult at the time (found it much easier to read after playing a high BPM js pattern).
3) Repeat
Eventually your eyes will adjust to reading js's to the point where you can pull off some shit you never knew you could before.
Ex) My 3g clean destination of the heart score that I will never get again.
I don't touch my speed mod, all that's going to do is make your eyes have to readjust to the way you read the charts and also fuck up your timing. Or at least it does for me, I tend to stare more at the middle of my screen when reading a JS, somewhat trying to read ahead of what I'm playing so that I know what I'm in for.
Well after a few days of playing nothing but jumpstream files I've gotten a little better, but strangely only at faster songs. Like for example I just got this Destination of the Heart score, which is an improvement from like 80 something, but I'm still horrible as shit at Makiba and Defection x.x And so the frustration continues.
I personally think that jumpstreaming is a matter of pattern recognition, in combination of understanding the beats or rhythm/melody that the jumps go to. If you have that sort of context, it's a lot easier to play. shenjoku, you play IIDX right? It's the same thing, but IMO easier than the learning curve of beatmania, since there are only so many pattern variations you can do with four columns of arrows.
Instead of blindly playing harder js files, try to analyze the charts a bit with pattern recognition in mind. Perhaps try to categorize patterns: ones that create anchor 8ths (e.g. runningmen), ones that flow more smoothly (e.g. rolls), ones that are "rougher" (e.g. 1324,1423,etc.), and so on. Then keep in mind the timing of when the jumps occur - musical context is important, so listen to it for a bit before playing! Also remember that there are literally only six ways to do jumps: [12],[34],[13],[24],[14],[23]. And fewer ways to do hands for handstreams: [124],[134],[123],[234]. With this limitation, there's really only so many ways that the jumpstream can flow.
Combine musical/rhythmical context with visual context, and you'll get there soon enough.
- visual tip: study those variations and potential outcomes of single arrows transitioning to and from those jumps
- visual tip #2: lower your speedmod, seriously. Actually, try both lower and higher than usual speedmods - you might be surprised.
- aural tip: if you like, emphasize the jumps to keep your rhythm. This takes a bit more energy, so you can't afford to do this for faster streams.
- aural tip #2: mute the music and listen to your keytaps.
It takes some time to integrate that visual and aural coordination, but I know you can do it.
I actually have a little bit of a tip
I mostly just read jumpstream as a bunch of jumps with 16ths to connect them, like I don't focus so much on the actual 16ths unless they're jumps too. I just look for any 1 handed gallops/trills to keep my timing while I try to keep my timing on jumps/hands in sync (not splitting)
My method pretty much just focuses on patterns i have to hit with each hand individually, like my left hand might be hitting jumps and that means my right hand is doing 16th gallops (or visa versa)
This works with long 1 handed trills with jumps on the other hand too
That is what Spitfire suggested as well. It'd fall into the category of visual aid in regards to transitioning in and out of jumps (visual tip #1 on my previous post).
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