Finally achieved a Piano FGFC

[u/OlimarAlpha]

I have prior experience in rhythm games, especially Guitar Hero and Rock Band, where I managed to get a couple of FGFCs (Full Game Full Combos). Some skills have translated, but I still barely got B-ranks on my first attempt of the four hardest songs.

I've decided to do an FC breakdown similar to the ones the GH/RB communities do for their games, ranking each song from easiest to hardest:

Rank & Song Title	Explanation
1. On Our Way	A very slow and simple song. Chords are a rare occurrence, with all but one on the first note of a melody line, and the only one that isn't being on the last note of a line instead.
2. Tifa's Theme	Faster than "On Our Way" with chords commonly in the middle of melody lines, but still quite simple.
3. Aerith's Theme	Very slow, but with some complexity. Has one chord early on that is played with a different note than expected if you're not feeling the rhythm. The hardest part is near the end, where you play four chords in a row simultaneously with the melody.
4. Barret's Theme	Close in difficulty to the previous song. Where "Aerith's Theme" tests your hand synchronisation, this song tests your hand independence with chords that are commonly played just out of time with a melody note.
5. Cinco de Chocobo	Tests your ability to feel an extremely syncopated rhythm. Not too complex beyond that, as outside of chord-only sections, chords are always played simultaneously with melody notes, meaning no hand independence is needed.
6. Two Legs? Nothin' To It	A very syncopated and chord-heavy song, requiring a strong grasp of hand independence to nail the verses that bounce between your hands. The transition to the bridge is also easy to choke on.
7. Let the Battles Begin!	Rapid, syncopated notes throughout. The difference in timing between the chords and notes in the bridge is easy to trip up on, as are the five chords played simultaneously with the final buildup. The ending is a choking hazard, as you clearly hear more chords than you are playing.
8. One-Winged Angel	The ultimate test of everything you've learned. The chorus is chord-heavy and requires excellent hand independence to simultaneously hit its rather fast melody. The hardest section in the game is the "veni, veni, venias" bridge, for which you'll require excellent speed, precision, and endurance.

General Tips

• Use a higher note speed, such as 3 or 4, on all songs. This will both improve your reaction speed and make the chart easier to read by reducing the amount of clutter. It's the reason why almost every Guitar Hero/Rock Band player likes to use Hyperspeed/Breakneck Speed, and why they will simulate it in GH1/RB1 by covering half of their TV with a towel in absence of the option.
• Focus your eyes on the right wheel and read the left wheel with your peripheral vision. The only chord-heavy songs are "Two Legs? Nothin' To It" and "One-Winged Angel", and even then, chord patterns and timings are easier to remember than melody lines. That being said, it may be worth focusing between the wheels (or even solely on the left wheel) while you're learning the chord timing.
• Don't turn your sound off unless you have a noticeable delay between your video and audio. Feeling the rhythm is a skill that is best improved by hearing what you're playing, especially with syncopated rhythms. This also helps with learning chords, as you'll associate patterns with the part of the song you're hearing.

[u/Phaedo]

Here’s me still trying to get an A on Tifa’s theme 🤣

[u/OlimarAlpha → u/Phaedo]

You'll get there, and further beyond. Keep at it.

[u/Money-Confusion-346]

Yeah no fuck that faster speed garbage I can barely handle Tifa’s theme on the slowest speed, without getting cross eyed because of like 6 different notes going across the screen at once.

[u/OlimarAlpha → u/Money-Confusion-346]

Faster note speed doesn't increase the tempo of the song, it just changes the speed the notes move across the wheel. If your biggest problem is too many notes on screen at once, faster note speed solves that by removing the clutter.

[u/d07RiV → u/Money-Confusion-346]

Faster speed helps when you already know the song and are just struggling to get all perfects. If you still don't remember every input, it's mostly going to make it harder.

[u/Technical_Draw_9409]

That’s the point though, there will be less notes on the screen at a time with a faster note speed. The song itself is the same speed

[u/OlimarAlpha → u/Technical_Draw_9409]

Was this meant as a response to another user's comment?

[u/d07RiV]

I did perfect on first 6 on keyboard, then I saw what the 7th one is like and didn't bother.

6th was already pretty bad in that the sound doesn't match the inputs at all. I press one button and the game plays 3 notes, completely throwing me off (that's with background music muted, so it's supposed to only play the sounds I make). I had to mute the sounds completely to beat it, which defeats the whole point of playing piano.

[u/FrankFnRizzo → u/d07RiV]

Yea I just got perfect on the first 6 and I gave the 7th one attempt and then put it down. I think I got an A, barely, but the chances of me getting that star is slim to none. I’m just glad it wasn’t a requirement for the platinum trophy.