4x4 Blindfolded tutorial

[trying-to-speedcube...]

Hi guys,

There has been a thread about solving big cubes blindfolded tutorial, but it never really came off the ground. So I just figured I'd make a tutorial myself.

Just explained the general concept. This tutorial is for the 4x4, but if you understand the concept, and you can use it, this method is possible for every big cube.

The 4x4 Blindfolded Tutorial


Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Memorization And Notation
3. Working Order
4. Memorization
5. Donning the Blindfold
6. Solving
7. Example Solves
---------------
1. Introduction

This tutorial will teach you how to solve the 4x4 cube blindfolded.
If you understand the concept of this tutorial, you will be able to use this method for every big cube blindfolded.
You will need a specific color scheme for solving the 4x4 cube blindfolded. If you do not know your color scheme,
learn it. The color scheme I use is Black on top, Green in front, Orange at the left, Red at the right, Blue in the back
and Yellow on the bottom.
-----------------------------
2. Memorization and Notation

The notation of pieces will be expressed in 3 letters, corresponding with the layers that the piece is in.
Outer layers will be expressed with capital letters, while inner layers will be expressed with small letters.

The notation of center pieces will always consist of one capital letter and two small letters.
Example: The U center piece that is in the b and r slice will be called "Ubr" or "Urb".

The notation of edge pieces will always consist of two capital letters and one small letter.
Example: The RU edge piece that is in the f slice will be called "URf" or RUf".

The notation of corner pieces will always consist of three capital letters.
Example: The corner that is in the RDF spot will be called "RDF" or any other combination of those three letters.
Later on, when we will work with stickers, instead of pieces, the first letter in the combination will be the sticker
that we are talking about.

Everyone should have their own method for memorization, what suits them best. Personally I use letterpairs.
I connect every piece to a letter, I pair 2 letters up in my memory and then I try to make up a with which
I can memorize those 2 letters. At the end of the memorization, I should have 25-30 words, with which I can make a story.
This story I remember, and upon recalling the story, I can find the letters in my memory.
-----------------
3. Working Order

Memorize corners
Memorize edges
Memorize centers
Don blindfold
Solve centers
Solve edges
Solve corners
---------------
4. Memorization

First we inspect and remember the cube. Note that, because the 4x4x4 has no fixed center pieces, before memorizing
you can do any cube rotation you'd like, to solve as many pieces as possible, so you will memorize as few as possible.
----------------------
4.1 Memorizing Corners

Your buffer is ULB. Look where the piece in ULB has to go to. Look where the piece in that position has to go to.
Keep memorizing this way, if you see that the buffer position is already solved, go to a random unsolved position on the
cube, that you haven't memorized yet, then keep memorizing. When you think you have memorized all unsolved corner pieces,
you can check by adding the number of unsolved corner pieces to the number of cycles, and then subtracting 2. If you
have memorized an odd number of corners you have parity, to which I'll come back later.
--------------------
4.2 Memorizing Edges

What I will be teaching you is called the r2 method. Our buffer is DFr and we will be shooting to UBr with the algorithm "r2".
Memorizing the edges is very simple. Look what piece is in DFr, then look what piece is in the place where the piece in DFr
has to go to. Then look where the next piece has to go to. Go on with that. When you find that the buffer position is solved,
choose a random position on the cube and go on with the cycle. When you think that you have memorized all unsolved edge
pieces, you can check by adding the number of unsolved edge pieces to the number of cycles, and then subtracting 2. If you
have memorized an odd number of edges you have parity, to which I'll come back later.
-----------------------
4.3 Memorizing Centers

The centers are the hardest part of solving the big cubes blindfolded. The memorization is also harder,
but not as hard as solving. I recommend that you already have an idea of commutators and their working.
Our buffer is Urb. Memorize in the same way as the edges and corners, but every face has 4 center pieces,
for now numbered as follows:

________________
| | |
| | |
| 1 | 2 |
| | |
|_______|_______|
| | |
| | |
| 3 | 4 |
| | |
|_______|_______|

The orientation of that quadrant is totally up to you, except for the U face. Number 2 is always the buffer position,
so Urb. We are always going to shoot to the lowest unsolved number in the quadrant of a face. Even if the buffer is
"solved" we always shoot to another position in the U-face (even if the number we're shooting to is 3 or 4).
Only if all centers on U are solved, we start a new cycle by shooting to another face.

If we obey these two rules, the center memorization should be easy after a few tries.
------------------------
5. Donning the Blindfold

Don the blindfold.
----------
6. Solving
-----------------------
6.1 Solving the Centers

This is the hardest part of the entire solve. That is because there are no algorithms. You have to make up commutators
yourself during the solve. This is done by using this step system:

1. Do a setup move, to get two center pieces in the same layer, preferably on U.(A) We are going to call these pieces
the dominant pieces. The layer in which those pieces are is the dominant layer. The third piece will be called
the loose piece. After the setup the loose piece may not be opposite to the dominant layer.
2. Solve the loose piece without changing the U-layer.(B)
3. Move the dominant layer to get the other dominant piece in the same spot as the first one.(C)
4. Reverse algorithm B.(B')
5. Reverse the move you did to the dominant layer.(C')
6. Undo the setup move 1.(A')

But this is just how I do it. If you have a good idea of commutators, and you can create them during the solve,
don't follow this, but do it your own way.

Now your algorithm should have the form A B C B' C' A' or A C B C' B' A'

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another method is the U2 method. Here we do a setup that does nothing to the U-layer except for setting up the piece
you want to shoot to into Ulf, then U2, then reversing that setup move. This is a much easier method, but it is
also slower. This is a good method to start with.

Here, you should always keep track of how many times you have done U2. If you have done an odd number of U2s and you have
to shoot to a piece in the U-layer, you should shoot to the diagonally opposite.
This can be done by these algorithms:

Ulb: r' u r U r' u' r U r' u r U2 r' u' r U2
Urf: r' u r U' r' u' r U' r' u r U2 r' u' r U2

There is a parity possible, if you have an odd number of centers memorized, but this can be easily fixed by simply U2.

---------------------
6.2 Solving the Edges

You should be able to make up the setups yourself, the execution is pretty straightforward.
Only the pieces in the l and r slices might be a bit of a problem.

These are the algorithms for those pieces:

BDl l x' U' R' U R' F R F' r2 F R' F' R U' R U x l'
UFr F d R U R' d' R U'R' F' r2
DBr r2 F R U R' d R U' R' d' F'
FUl l' x' U' R' U R' F R F' r2 F R' F' R U' R U x l
UBl U' R' U R' F R F' r2 F R' F' R U' R U
BUr r2
DFl l2 x' U' R' U R' F R F' r2 F R' F' R U' R U x l2

If one of these in the r slice is the second one in a row, you have to shoot to the opposite piece. (Example: UBr becomes DFr)

Parity fix: If you have an odd number of edges memorized, you have parity, this is the case where the DFr and UBr edges are
solved, and the rest of the r slice is an r2 away from solving. The algorithm to solve this parity is:
r2 D' L' F l' U2 l' U2 F2 l' F2 r U2 r' U2 l2 F' L D.
-----------------------
6.3 Solving the Corners

This is the easiest part. You should be ashamed of yourself, if you screw up on this part
(and did the other parts correctly).

These are the algorithms:

URB: R' U L' U2 R U' R' U2 R L U'
URF: F R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R F'
ULF: U2 R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U
RFD: R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R

Note that the algorithm for URF is actually the RFD algorithm, with setup F.

Parity Fix: If you have an odd number of corners memorized, you have parity, this is the case where the corners are solved
and there are 2 edges swapped (UB and UL). The algorithm to solve this parity is: B U' B' Uw2 Rw2 U2 r2 U2 Rw2 Uw2 B U B'.
-----------------
7. Example Solves
-----------------
7.1 Example solve 1
Using commutators for centers
Scramble: L2 Uw2 Rw F D B2 F Rw R B F' U R2 Fw' Uw L2 F2 L' D2 Uw2 U Fw Uw' B2 D Uw' R2 Fw' D2 L Fw' L' Rw2 R' Uw2
U F2 L2 B' F

Memorization

Corners: RUB-->DRF-->FRU-->ULF-->LDF-->(new cycle)BDR-->DRB-->(new cycle)LDB-->BLD (parity)

Edges: URf-->DRf-->DRb-->(new cycle)DBl-->RBd-->DBr-->LFu-->BUl-->LFd-->DLf-->FUl-->RUb-->FUr-->LUf-->FRd-->RBu-->LUb-->
-->FRu-->LBd-->DBl-->(new cycle)UBr-->FRu-->BLd-->BLu-->LDb-->DFl-->UBr-->(new cycle)FRd-->DBr-->UFr-->FRd (parity)

Centers: Ulf-->Flu-->Ruf-->Bld-->Fru-->Lbu-->Urf-->Dlf-->(new cycle)Fld-->Dlb-->Frd-->Drb-->Lfu-->Brd-->Fld-->(new cycle)Rub-->
-->Lbd-->Rub-->(new cycle)Rdf-->Blu-->Rub


Execution

Centers:
Ulf-Flu: U2(C) f u' f'(B) U2(C') f u f'(B')
Ruf-Bld: Lw(A) l u l'(B) U'(C) l u' l'(B') U(C') Lw'(A')
Fru-Lbu: F2 l' U'(A) l u' l'(B) U2(C) l u l'(B') U' l F2(C' + A')
Urf-Dlf: Lw'(A) b u b'(B) U'(C) b u' b'(B') U(C') Lw(A')
Fld-Dlb: Lw' U f d f' U2 f d' f' U Lw (you should be able to understand these commutators now.)
Frd-Drb: U' Rw F b d' b' U2 b d b' U2 F' Rw' U
Lfu-Brd: Fw U f d' f' U' f d f' Fw'
Fld-Rub: Lw' r' u r U2 r' u' r U2 Lw
Lbd-Rub: Dw Lw' U' l u l' U2 l u' l' U' Lw Dw'
Rdf-Blu: Fw' r' u2 r U' r' u2 r U Fw
Rub-Ruf: Fw' r' u r U2 r' u' r U2 Fw


Edges:
URf-DRf: R' U R U' r2 U R' U' R B' R' B r2 B' R B
DRb-DBl: U R2 U' r2 U R2 U' l x' U' R' U R' F R F' r2 F R' F' R U' R U x l'
RBd-DBr: R B' R' B r2 B' R B R' F d R U R' d' R U'R' F' r2
LFu-BUl: U' L' U r2 U' L U x' U' R' U R' F R F' r2 F R' F' R U' R U x
LFd-DLf: B L2 B' r2 B L2 B' U' L2 U r2 U' L2 U
FUl-RUb: l' x' U' R' U R' F R F' r2 F R' F' R U' R U x l B' R B r2 B' R' B
FUr-LUf: F d R U R' d' R U'R' F' r2 B L' B' r2 B L B'
FRd-RBu: U R U' r2 U R2 U' r2 U R U'
LUb-FRu: L' U' L U r2 U' L' U L B R2 B' r2 B R2 B'
LBd-DBl: U' L U r2 U' L' U l x' U' R' U R' F R F' r2 F R' F' R U' R U x l'
UBr-FRu: r2 B' R2 B r2 B' R2 B
BLd-BLu: U' L U r2 U' L' U L B L' B' r2 B L B' L'
LDb-DFl: B L B' r2 B L' B' l2 x' U' R' U R' F R F' r2 F R' F' R U' R U x l2
UBr-FRd: r2 U R U' r2 U R' U'
DBr-UFr: r2 F R U R' d R U' R' d' F' r2 F R U R' d R U' R' d' F'
FRd : U R U' r2 U R' U'
Parity fix: r2 D' L' F l' U2 l' U2 F2 l' F2 r U2 r' U2 l2 F' L D


Corners:
RUB: R' U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R'
DRF: R U L' U2 R U' R' U2 R L U' R2
FRU: U L' U2 R U' R' U2 R L U' R'
ULF: U2 R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U
LDF: F U2 R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U F'
BDR: R2 U L' U2 R U' R' U2 R L U' R
DRB: R2 F R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R F' R2
LDB: D2 R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R D2
BLD: D2 R F R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R F' R' D2
Parity fix: B U' B' Uw2 Rw2 U2 r2 U2 Rw2 Uw2 B U B'
--------------------
7.2 Example solve 2
Now using U2 for centers

Scramble: D' U' L2 Rw' R2 Uw B U L2 Uw' L B2 Uw U' R Uw' L R' Uw Fw F2 R' Fw Uw2 L2 Fw F R2 Fw' L D B' R' D2 Uw2 L
D2 L2 R2 Uw'

We directly see the 3-block of the U-color on Front. We also see the 2-blocks on L and R of (respectively) Front and Right.
I would do x here.

So the first move is (x)

Memorization

Corners: RUF-->FRD-->BRD-->RBU-->FLD-->FLU-->DLB (parity)

Edges: LBu-->BUl-->FUr-->DRb-->BUr-->LFd-->BDr-->BLd-->BDl-->RDf-->RUf-->LUf-->FUl-->FRd-->BRu-->FRu-->FLu-->
-->(new cycle)RUb-->DLb-->FDl-->DLf-->RUb-->(new cycle)LUb-->BRd-->LUb (parity)

Centers: Lbu-->Flu-->Dlf-->Brd-->Drf-->Rub-->Blu-->Rdb-->Dlb-->Luf-->Drb-->Ldb-->Fru-->Bru-->Frd-->Ldf


Execution

Centers:
Lbu: {U l u' l' U'} U2 {U l u l' U'}
Flu: {U2 b u b' U2} U2 {U2 b u' b' U2}
Dlf: {l B d2 B' l'} U2 {l B d2 B' l'}
Brd: {U b d b' U'} U2 {U b d' b' U'}
Drf: {D' l B d2 B' l'} U2 {l B d2 B' l' D}
Rub: {U2 r' u r U2} U2 {U2 r' u' r U2}
Blu: {U' f' u' f U} U2 {U' f' u f U}
Rdb: {U' r' d' r U} U2 {U' r' d r U}
Dlb: {D l B d2 B' l'} U2 {l B d2 B' l' D'}
Luf: {U2 r' u' r U2} U2 {U2 r' u r U2}
Drb: {D2 l B d2 B' l'} U2 {l B d2 B' l' D2}
Ldb: {l d l'} U2 {l d' l'}
Fru: {l' u2 l} U2 {l' u2 l}
Bru: {U l u2 l' U'} U2 {U l u2 l' U'}
Frd: {f' d' f} U2 {f' d f}
Ldf: {U' r' d r U} U2 {U' r' d' r U}

Edges:
LBu-BUl: L2 B L2 B' r2 B L2 B' L2 x' U' R' U R' F R F' r2 F R' F' R U' R U x
FUr-DRb: F d R U R' d' R U' R' F' r2 U R2 U' r2 U R2 U'
BUr-LFd: r2 B L2 B' r2 B L2 B'
BDr-BLd: r2 F R U R' d R U' R' d' F' U' L U r2 U' L' U
BDl-RDf: l x' U' R' U R' F R F' r2 F R' F' R U' R U x l' B' R' B r2 B' R B
RUf-LUf: R2 U R2 U' r2 U R2 U' R2 B L' B' r2 B L B'
FUl-FRd: l' x' U' R' U R' F R F' r2 F R' F' R U' R U x l U R U' r2 U R' U'
BRu-FRu: U R' U' r2 U R U' B' R2 B r2 B' R2 B
FLu-RUb: U' L' U r2 U' L U B' R B r2 B' R' B
DLb-FDl: B L B' r2 B L' B' l2 x' U' R' U R' F R F' r2 F R' F' R U' R U x l2
DLf-RUb: U' L2 U r2 U' L2 U B' R B r2 B' R' B
LUb-BRd: L2 U' L2 U r2 U' L2 U L2 R2 B' R2 B r2 B' R2 B R2
LUb: L2 U' L2 U r2 U' L2 U L2

Parity fix: r2 D' L' F l' U2 l' U2 F2 l' F2 r U2 r' U2 l2 F' L D

Corners:
RUF: U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R2
FRD: R F R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R F' R'
BRD: D' R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R D
RUB: R' U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R'
FDR: D R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R D'
FUL: F2 R F R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R F' R' F2
DLB: D F' R U' R' U' R U R' F' R U R' U' R' F R F D'

Parity fix: B U' B' Uw2 Rw2 U2 r2 U2 Rw2 Uw2 B U B'

 

[nitrocan]

This is kind of similar to Dr. Richard Carr's tutorial on any cube blindfolded.

Very nice tutorial though. I will check it out as soon as my exams are over.

 

[byu]

Nice! I want to try this, but my 4x4 is broken...

 

[shelley]

Repeat:

http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?t=201
http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2207

 

[trying-to-speedcube...]

Repeat:

http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?t=201
http://www.speedsolving.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2207

That is what I said in the first post. None of these 2 threads have a complete tutorial. Your first link just had a (sort-of) explanation about edge commutators (I teach r2 so that is different)

The other one had a tutorial about center commutators, where I teach commutators for people that don't perfectly understand them, and I teach U2, which is a good method to start with.

 

[SimonWestlund]

is there a video for this?
I can't be bothered to read it all

 

[blah]

is there a video for this?
I can't be bothered to read it all

Kind words of advice: Please take that back before someone starts flaming

 

[SimonWestlund]

I would read it but I just got home from school and I'm really tired. But I could read it later if there isn't a video..

 

[cmhardw]

I would read it but I just got home from school and I'm really tired. But I could read it later if there isn't a video..

Did you really just post the responses you did? Seriously? ...

Chris

 

[trying-to-speedcube...]

There are two possible answers to your question:

My way: No, there is no video, but if you and more others want one I can make you one.

Stefan's way: If you're too lazy to read, I'm too lazy to make a video

 

[SimonWestlund]

I would read it but I just got home from school and I'm really tired. But I could read it later if there isn't a video..

Did you really just post the responses you did? Seriously? ...

Chris

What do you mean by that?

And I didn't ask anyone to make a tutorial, I asked if there was one.

 

[cmhardw]

What do you mean by that?

is there a video for this?
I can't be bothered to read it all

Seems harsh to me, especially after Maarten took the time to write such a detailed tutorial.

Chris

 

[Mike Hughey]

Actually, as it turns out, there is a 4x4x4 BLD video tutorial series:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=AD7A4D2EF33D47F1

But I do think that if you can't be bothered to read a description of how to do 4x4x4 BLD, it seems amazing that you're willing to put the work in to learn to do it. It's not all that hard, but it does require a bit of dedication, and honestly I would think that anyone with that much dedication would be willing to read a text description of the process - especially one as short as the one in this thread.

Also, you can probably read the tutorial here and work through it with a cube faster than you can watch all 13 of those videos!

 

[SimonWestlund]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that.

I just meant that I don't feel like reading it right now.

 

[SimonWestlund]

Actually, as it turns out, there is a 4x4x4 BLD video tutorial series:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=AD7A4D2EF33D47F1

But I do think that if you can't be bothered to read a description of how to do 4x4x4 BLD, it seems amazing that you're willing to put the work in to learn to do it. It's not all that hard, but it does require a bit of dedication, and honestly I would think that anyone with that much dedication would be willing to read a text description of the process - especially one as short as the one in this thread.

Also, you can probably read the tutorial here and work through it with a cube faster than you can watch all 13 of those videos!

I'm not looking to learn how to do it RIGHT NOW. Maybe some other time. I would never be able to do it right now I would have just read the text. But right now I wanted to watch a video just to get an idea of it.

 

[trying-to-speedcube...]

Actually, as it turns out, there is a 4x4x4 BLD video tutorial series:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=AD7A4D2EF33D47F1

But I do think that if you can't be bothered to read a description of how to do 4x4x4 BLD, it seems amazing that you're willing to put the work in to learn to do it. It's not all that hard, but it does require a bit of dedication, and honestly I would think that anyone with that much dedication would be willing to read a text description of the process - especially one as short as the one in this thread.

Also, you can probably read the tutorial here and work through it with a cube faster than you can watch all 13 of those videos!

So you think it's short?

Wow...

 

[Mike Hughey]

So you think it's short?

Wow...

Very short. Chris had a tutorial and an example back on the Yahoo! group that I printed out and worked through so I could learn to do it. I could be suffering from fuzzy memory, but I remember both of those being several times longer than this one is.

Also, note that for the video tutorial, there are 13 videos, each of which are somewhere in the 10 minute range. So it's hard to make this short no matter what medium you use.

 

[blah]

When I started, I printed more than 10 pages of Chris', Mike's and Dan's tutorials from this forum. This is ridiculously short (that's a compliment by the way)

 

[SimonWestlund]

I didn't realize that this was so short compared to other tutorials.
4x4 might be a lot more complicated to do blindfolded than I imagined.

And sorry to everyone about what I commented if it seemed harsh, that's not how I meant it. I still have to work a lot more on my 3x3 BLD before I take on the 4x4. I still do around 4 minutes on the 3x3 BLD.

Well. Thanks anyway for all the information you've given me and thanks for the video link Mike!

Simon

 

[Mike Hughey]

And sorry to everyone about what I commented if it seemed harsh, that's not how I meant it. I still have to work a lot more on my 3x3 BLD before I take on the 4x4. I still do around 4 minutes on the 3x3 BLD.

I think I understand where you're coming from - sorry if we were harsh on you. I hope to see you doing 4x4x4 BLD someday!

And by the way, (consulting my records) when I got my first successful 4x4x4 BLD solve, my best ever 3x3x3 BLD solve at the time was 3:33.36, and I got that just six days prior to my first 4x4x4 BLD solve. Prior to that, my best ever 3x3x3 BLD solve had been 4:04.67. So it looks like you're currently better at 3x3x3 BLD than I was when I started doing 4x4x4 BLD.