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Alternate + singletap: Worth it?

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Total Posts
30
Illus
44 posts
Joined June 2013
Topic Starter
Illus
Hey guys,

I'm some average player who has been playing for almost a year. I've been alternating about all the time since it's more fun. And it will stay like this. (Yeah, go ahead and tell me how I'm gonna suck forever)

Anyways, sometimes when I'm bored I try out a bit of singletap and it feels really weird. It's not like my finger hurts or something like that. It's the reading or the aim, I'm not so sure. It somehow feels awfully different than when I'm alternating. I sometimes "fail" to recognize patterns, even at 160 bpm, which is kinda stupid.
I love stars and squares (at least to some extent) when I'm alternating but I'm hopeless at those when singletapping.

I previously knew it improves your fingers' strength and your overall streaming since you're hitting your (speed) limit a lot more times, but the reading part is kinda new to me. So I wanted to ask: Is there some special difference in reading/aim? If I learned how to singletap properly, how much would I improve? And the most important question: Is it fun and interesting? I'd also like to know the other way round: How does it feel to alternate for someone who has always been singletapping?


I'd really love to read the experiences of people who have learned both properly (alternating -> singletapping or singletapping -> alternating, doesn't matter). I'm curious. Oh, and I don't want this to be much of an "alternate vs. singletap"-thread, but rather a "how do those two styles complement each other"-thread. Thanks in advance.
Blueprint
654 posts
Joined January 2014
Blueprint
The on ly difference is it is easier to learn how to change rhythm single tapping (your accuracy doesn't tell me you have problems)
On how do I feel alternating, something that would usually strain my lead finger I would just mash through it so I can use it just not accurately.


*Anything that's to fast that I have problems reading it I do better alternating(multi)
Last edited by Blueprint , edited 1 time in total.
nooblet
630 posts
Joined December 2011
nooblet
I like alternating 'cauz it's easier to mash

Tried single tapping as well, I think it's more to do with timing than reading, since when you alternate, as one finger goes up the other one goes down naturally in rhythm. If you can't time your hits properly, the jumps/hits often won't be in time, causing you to miss more.
DahplA
1,099 posts
Joined March 2014
DahplA
I always single-tap unless it's streams or there is a circle/slider one quarter of a beat after the previous one. The only reason why I can't alternate is because I've learnt to play osu this way and I can't change it now.
GoldenWolf
2,983 posts
Joined May 2012
GoldenWolf

DahplA wrote:

I always single-tap unless it's streams or there is a circle/slider one quarter of a beat after the previous one. The only reason why I can't alternate is because I've learnt to play osu this way and I can't change it now.
that's so wrong though, you can always change it
nrl
1,402 posts
Joined October 2011
nrl

DahplA wrote:

The only reason why I can't alternate is because I've learnt to play osu this way and I can't change it now.
I learned to alternate when I started working on all the old 0108 maps a few thousand plays ago, and now I do it on any map too fast to single tap. It can definitely be learned.
EcksDee
125 posts
Joined July 2009
EcksDee
alternaters: hurr alternating everything all the time is the only way to go frrrrt (this one is me)
singletapars: omg fucke u singletap is literal only way to be any good kill urslef

There's less amazing players that alternate everything, but I'm fairly sure there isn't an actual wall that physically stops you from getting amazing through only alternating.


Really I think the best thing you can do would be to use singletapping for muscle training (maybe offline fast singletap maps) and alternate everything else.

Though obviously personal preference.
Vuelo Eluko
5,484 posts
Joined October 2013
Vuelo Eluko
upside to singletapping: easier to follow the rhythm and be accurate, faster to learn accuracy

downside: stamina stamina stamina, and consistent speed
EcksDee
125 posts
Joined July 2009
EcksDee
Truth be told I've never understood how singletapping makes it easier to follow the rhythm. Once you get the feel of alternating it's all the same shit isnt it?
GoldenWolf
2,983 posts
Joined May 2012
GoldenWolf

EcksDee wrote:

Truth be told I've never understood how singletapping makes it easier to follow the rhythm. Once you get the feel of alternating it's all the same shit isnt it?
Probably, may be easier because you don't have to think about which finger you're landing on at the end of the streams/which finger you're starting with etc
winber1
4,520 posts
Joined February 2010
winber1
the only reason alternating could potentially cockblock you is because you generally don't push yourself to your streaming limits as much, thus you don't develop streaming speed or speed as fast or as easily as single-tapping. Other than that it's like do whatever you feel like.

Many players who single-tap can also alternate near or at their single-tap level, though you don't always see them use alternating in every replay obviously. Personally, I would consider my alternating pretty good (as a single-tapper), but alternating for the most part just saves energy. Now the only true benefit to alternating is when you begin to reach the near impossible single-tap zone. As in, maps where you could either stream like it was 160+BPM, or you can single tap like it was 320+BPM. At this point the single tapping starts to fall short of the ability of alternating. Otherwise, single-tapping can literally do anything alternating can do, as long as you train it enough. And it's the same the other way around. Alternating can literally do everything that a single-tapper can do. It's just a general consensus that alternating is harder to master.

That's just my opinion though. However, I do think alternating builds better accuracy on slower pace songs more easily. I always find it awkward as hell to accuracy on slow pace with single tap, but easier with alternating. Maybe that's just me.

GoldenWolf wrote:

EcksDee wrote:

Truth be told I've never understood how singletapping makes it easier to follow the rhythm. Once you get the feel of alternating it's all the same shit isnt it?
Probably, may be easier because you don't have to think about which finger you're landing on at the end of the streams/which finger you're starting with etc
After you get good enough you don't even need to think about that. I sometimes do depending on how complex the rhythm is, but a lot of the times I don't actually really need to. I would assume people who actually mastered alternating really don't need to think about it either.
Last edited by winber1 , edited 1 time in total.
Noobsicle
674 posts
Joined October 2013
Noobsicle
get pro at both
xasuma
The First Completionist
1,011 posts
Joined August 2013
xasuma
Alternating is just more difficult at certain speeds with certain spread patterns. But once you get passed that, it just be the same.
I alternate every single note with my right hand and singletap anything but streams with my left.
Oh and singletapping might make it a bit more difficult with very quick sudden changes in speed ( if you are not expecting them).

I ll keep alternating everything too. No drawbacks i think.
GoldenWolf
2,983 posts
Joined May 2012
GoldenWolf

winber1 wrote:

After you get good enough you don't even need to think about that. I sometimes do depending on how complex the rhythm is, but a lot of the times I don't actually really need to. I would assume people who actually mastered alternating really don't need to think about it either.
Yeah, but I meant when you're starting/learning how to alternate you have to think about that, which may seem harder than simply singletapping everything
peanutbutter
6 posts
Joined July 2013
peanutbutter
When I try to single tap my brain just shuts off... Since my finger can't keep up, my brain refuses to keep up even though I can easily play the map alternating. The only big problem I ran into though is that I start every stream with my right finger, so certain patterns mess me up pretty hard.
EcchiMeister
24 posts
Joined July 2013
EcchiMeister
Alternate style has the most potential, I'm a bit jealous because I can't alternate. except for streams but I can't do alternating with spaced circles.

Surprisingly, from what I read on some comments here I never knew singletapping to limits is a good training for stream skills.
nrl
1,402 posts
Joined October 2011
nrl
It's not, it's just better training than alternating. It's easier to add the second finger than it is to get the entire motion up to speed.
NinjaNick
79 posts
Joined January 2014
NinjaNick
I can never tell if the upcoming notes are too fast to single tap or aren't. It's easier to alternate all the time, at the moment I've found no down sides except a slight decrease in accuracy at times.
nrl
1,402 posts
Joined October 2011
nrl

NinjaNick wrote:

I can never tell if the upcoming notes are too fast to single tap or aren't. It's easier to alternate all the time, at the moment I've found no down sides except a slight decrease in accuracy at times.
moar plays needed
EcksDee
125 posts
Joined July 2009
EcksDee

NarrillNezzurh wrote:

NinjaNick wrote:

I can never tell if the upcoming notes are too fast to single tap or aren't. It's easier to alternate all the time, at the moment I've found no down sides except a slight decrease in accuracy at times.
moar plays needed
I can never tell if the upcoming notes are too fast to single tap or aren't. It's easier to alternate all the time, at the moment I've found no down sides except singletapping is better physical training (though ultimately pointless for me)

I understand the logic of 1/2 singletapping to 1/4 streaming is just mathematically adding another 1/2 finger, but that switch is just so alien to me that I can't do it.
Nor do I want to lol
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