GFDM Glossary

Advanced

First game: GUITARFREAKS 5th MIX/drummania 4th MIX

The second of the classic GF/DM three difficulty tiers. Songs in this tier typically range from 30-50 (on a 1-99 scale) and peak at roughly 90. This is synonymous with Regular difficulty in GF/DM XG.

Auto-(Bass/Pad)

First game: ?

Game modifier which automatically plays the specified pad(s) or pedal(s) without any input from the player. When enabled, the specified bass pedal(s) or pad lane(s) will be marked with "Auto." Using any Auto modifier will cut the resulting song skill by at least half, depending on the game played.

Basic

First game: GUITARFREAKS 5th MIX/drummania 4th MIX

The lowest of the classic GF/DM three difficulty tiers. Songs on this difficulty start at 10 (on a 1-99 scale) and increase to roughly 70. This is synonymous with Novice difficulty in GF/DM XG.

Bass

First game: GUITARFREAKS 3rd MIX/drummania 2nd MIX

One of two alternative playstyles in GuitarFreaks, allowing the player to play the bass guitar portions of the song. Most songs in classic GF/DM have only a Basic and Advanced chart for Bass, with several having an additional chart on Extreme. To date, songs with new charts in GF/DM XG have been given Bass charts on all three difficulty tiers.

Dark

First game: GUITARFREAKS 7th MIX/drummania 6th MIX

Game modifier which darkens the background frame, play lanes, measure lines, and the target timing area. This modifier is typically used to help see notes more clearly, which may clash with the colors of the background or lanes.

Encore Stage

First game: GUITARFREAKS 4th MIX/drummania 3rd MIX

An additional stage earned after performing well on the game's Extra Stage-specific song (refer to each game's information page for specific requirements). When accessed, a new song for the game (and only that song) may be played, with the difficulty of the song typically being determined by the difficulty of the Extra Stage previously played.

Extra Rush

First game: GuitarFreaks V3 & DrumMania V3

A new system where the game's Extra, Encore, and Premium Encore Stages change over time. The current configuration for the game's stages are designated by Extra Levels.

Extra Stage

First game: GUITARFREAKS

An additional stage earned after meeting certain requirements in Standard or Bonus Track Mode (refer to each game's information page for specific requirements). This typically allows for an Extra Stage-specific song new to the game to be selected, though in later mixes the player may also have the option of selecting any other song from the songlist.

Extreme

First game: GUITARFREAKS 5th MIX/drummania 4th MIX

The most difficult tier of the classic GF/DM three difficulty tiers. Songs in this tier typically range from 40-70 (on a 1-99 scale) and peak at 99. This is synonymous with Expert difficulty in GF/DM XG.

Half-Dark

First game: GuitarFreaks V4 & DrumMania V4: RockxRock

Game modifier similar to Dark, which darkens the background frame and play lanes, but keeps measure lines and the target timing area intact. This modifier is typically used to help see notes more clearly, which may clash with the colors of the background or lanes.

Master

First game: GuitarFreaks XG & DrumMania XG

A new difficulty tier ranked higher than Expert tier, available for a song after completing the song on Expert difficulty. Songs in this tier are typically rated above 7.00 (on GF/DM XG's new 1.00-9.99 scale).

Open Pick

First game: GUITARFREAKS 7th MIX/drummania 6th MIX

One of two alternative playstyles in GuitarFreaks. Selecting Open Pick adds Open notes to the note chart, which are strummed without holding down any frets. Many Open Pick charts are nearly identical to their Guitar counterparts, with Open notes merely replacing notes. This mode was removed in GF/DM XG, and Open notes now appear in Expert and Master charts by default.

Premium Encore Stage

First game: GUITARFREAKS 10th MIX/drummania 9th MIX

An additional stage played after the game's Extra Stage-specific song, with more stringent requirements than Encore Stage. When accessed, a new song for the game (and only that song) may be played, with the difficulty of the song being determined by the difficulty of the Extra Stage previously played.

Standard Mode

This mode is the primary selectable mode in the GF/DM series - Standard Mode features all selectable songs for the given mix, and typically allows for 3-5 stages of play, depending on the machine's settings. If the player performs well enough, he/she may earn an Extra Stage or even an Encore Stage, which allows access to certain songs available only on those stages.