Clap roll
When you do a clap roll, just blow into the clap sensor. It will let you get massive coinage. This does not damage the sensor.
Clapping substitute
Instead of clapping, sometimes it is easier to just yell something. It prevents you from hurting your hands, but make sure you speak or yell into the clap sensor. If you use a controller, there is no substitute.
Banana Fairy
In Street Performance, the Banana Fairy appears after you do a 25 note combo, but goes away after 10 more notes in a combo (after 25). It always does this until you miss a note. However if she casts magic on your player, you will win three coins.
When doing a long song, if you get 150 Greats or OKs in a row, the Banana Fairy will appear with you and remain until the song ends or you make a mistake (no more 10-combo leaves).
Alternate controllers
Sometimes, a different controller (other than the regular Nintendo controllers) will be registered as bongo drums. In this case, [A] and [X] are the Right Drum; [B] and [Y] are the Left Drum, and [L] and [R] are the claps. [Start] still serves the same function, and the Analog-stick and D-Pad do not work.
Slot machine event
In battle mode, there will be a time where you will get a slot machine event. The first stop note is the first reel, the second stop note is the third, and the third stop note is the middle reel. You lose 4,000 points if you miss all three, but you can get 20,000 points by getting a Great, a Bad, and an OK in that order.
Great: Link
Ok: Tetra
Bad: Gannondorf
Miss: Tingle
Yellow OK
Hitting both notes for a Great when you are only supposed to hit one note results in a yellow OK instead of a Great.
Trouble tip
For a feel of the song, try playing it with the "Fight" sound set.
Go back one menu
Hold both sides on the bongo to go back a menu, instead of going all the way to the return option.
More points
On Left and Right (Pink) Drum rolls, hitting them both at the same time gives more points than hitting each one once at different times.
Play as Diddy with CPU Dixie in duet
Start duet mode with the controller in port two to play the bottom part as Diddy, with Dixie taking the top.
Freeplay images
You get new images for every fifty notes you manually play. There are four images in each set. You can see them by hitting the left drum, hitting the right drum, hitting the left and right drums together, and by clapping.
Dixie's joke
At about the 50 Dixie's Notes mark, Dixie says something about leaving you to it on your own. To reassure people, Dixie does come in at a later point still, proving it a joke.
Intro movie
Wait a few minutes at the title screen, and eventually it will cut to a little movie showing the starting point of the game. Sometimes, it might show a demo of a song instead played by Dixie.
Extra challenge
When playing Quartet mode, switch your controller to a different port for a slightly different part in the song about to be performed.
Keeping rhythm
Get the 1-2-3-4 timing and clap during free bars to keep to the beat, then play your notes along with the rhythm. Some songs are faster than others.