# Emphasis

The second major topic in mapping is emphasis.

# Definition

Emphasis can be defined as: the usage of movement, flow, spacing, slider velocity, and other methods to represent the intensity of the song at a given point in time.

It is important to note you do not need to use every method listed to create emphasis within a map. The type of emphasis used depends on the context of the map and the song.

# What is Good Emphasis?

Generally speaking, stronger sounds demands more emphasis and weaker sounds demand less emphasis.

So what does that mean in terms of the methods listed?

# Movement

There are two types of movement: clockwise and counter-clockwise. Suppose your objects play clockwise for 10 seconds straight, that is, you can move your cursor clockwise in a circular direction and be able to hit all objects. Deciding to change the movement in the map suddenly would emphasize the object in which the direction was changed on. It deviates from the norm, making it different, leading to emphasis. Utilizing movement emphasis is not frequently done on every object but rather for sections of music.

# Flow

Flow is movement's cousin. They sound very similar, but there is a slight difference. While movement is concerned with how your cursor moves, flow deals with the patterns itself and how it plays relative to each other. It is widely accepted that "comfortable" maps involve patterns that use acute angles for jumps and circle-shaped streams. Much like movement, changing how your patterns flow (e.g. acute angle jumps to wide angle jumps) creates emphasize for the set of objects that the change in flow effects.

# Spacing

This type of emphasis is the most common form of emphasis, and is a type that deals with each individual object. Recall earlier that you read that stronger sounds demands more emphasis, and weaker sounds demand less emphasis. In regards to spacing, suppose (A) is a very weak sound and (B) is a very loud sound. Objectively, we would hear that B > A (in terms of interpretive intensity). Based on this definition, the distance between B and A should be large.

How large?

The distance between two objects depends on where the song is relative to the rest of the song. For most songs, the chorus of a song will be the most "intense" part of the song, and so in a chorus, the distance from A to B should be larger than all the previous sections of the song (verses, bridges, refrains, etc). That implies a limit to what spacing distance can be used in the sections not named the chorus. Similarly, suppose (A) is a very weak sound and (B) is also a very weak sound, located in the part of a song that is least intense relative to the entire song. Our definition suggests that the spacing from A to B should be the smallest in the context of the map.

If long sections of a song are more intense or less intense relative to the song, then it would make sense that the spacing throughout that section is generally going to be larger or smaller throughout that section.

Use spacing emphasis in moderation, emphasizing everything too much or too little can also poorly represent the song.

# Slider Velocity

Slider velocity (SV) controls how fast or slow the slider is played based on the base SV set in the timing panel. Controlling typically follows the same process of usage as spacing emphasis and contrast. Sections of more "intense" music should use a faster, more appropriate SV, whereas sections of "calmer" music should use a lower, appropriate SV as well.

Individual objects can have their SV altered at all, but that is highly dependent on the sound being present in the song too. For instance, let's take a listen at our chosen song. Sounds fairly simple and there isn't anything that really "stands out" as a sound. Now suppose for some reason, there was a strong "wub" sound like the ones you would hear from many of Camellia's music. Many would argue that this would merit using a singular alteration of higher SV than anything else. On the flip side, you may interpret these unique sounds as associated with a singular alteration of lower SV.

Much like everything else in mapping. This second paragraph is largely subjective to the mapper, while the first paragraph is what is generally accepeted in mapping to most mappers. Increase and decrease SV in moderation. A too sharp increase or decrease of SV may make that pattern feel out of place.

# Other Methods

The ones mentioned already are the most important and common ways of achieving emphasis in maps. These four are not the only four to exist. Other methods may include patterning, such as creating more complex patterns for more "intense" or "complicated" parts of the music, and utilizing simpler patterns for "calmer" parts of the music. Similarly, if a song is not complicated, you may consider taking a focus on the pitch of the layer that you're focusing on. Perhaps a higher pitched vocal should be more emphasized than a lower piched vocal. The possibilities of emphasis are endless, and is bound by your intepretation of how you think the music should be represented.

While you may not immediately understand how to use all of them in some way, it is important to know that these methods exist while you map.