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Lesson 1 of 5

The gallop

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The gallop is the horse-hoof rhythm of classic metal: an eighth note followed by two sixteenths, on every beat ("da, da-ga, da, da-ga"). Key of E minor, palm-muted on the low strings, standard tuning.

Picking

Two common options:

  • Down, down-up: downstroke on the eighth, then down-up for the two sixteenths. Easier at first.
  • Down, up-down: strict alternate picking, which some find smoother at speed.

Pick one and stick with it. Keep your palm muting at the bridge the whole time, and pick from the wrist with a small motion.

The second exercise moves the gallop through G5, A5 and D5 power chords (two-note shapes, index on the root, ring finger two frets up). Change chords on the beat, not in the middle of a gallop.

The reverse gallop flips the rhythm: two sixteenths, then the eighth.

Most common mistake: the gallop turning into a triplet. The two short notes must be exactly sixteenths, squeezed into the second half of the beat. Count "1 e & a" and play on 1, &, a.

Start slowly; a tight gallop at 100 bpm sounds heavier than a sloppy one at 140.

Exercises

Gallop on the open E

60 → 130 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. low E string, open
    2. rest
    3. low E string, open
    4. low E string, open
    5. low E string, open
    6. rest
    7. low E string, open
    8. low E string, open
    9. low E string, open
    10. rest
    11. low E string, open
    12. low E string, open
    13. low E string, open
    14. rest
    15. low E string, open
    16. low E string, open

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Gallop with power chords

60 → 130 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. low E string, open
    2. rest
    3. low E string, open
    4. low E string, open
    5. low E string, open
    6. rest
    7. low E string, open
    8. low E string, open
    9. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5
    10. rest
    11. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5
    12. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5
    13. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7
    14. rest
    15. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7
    16. low E string, fret 5 + A string, fret 7
  2. Bar 2
    1. low E string, open
    2. rest
    3. low E string, open
    4. low E string, open
    5. low E string, open
    6. rest
    7. low E string, open
    8. low E string, open
    9. A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 7
    10. rest
    11. A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 7
    12. A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 7
    13. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5
    14. rest
    15. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5
    16. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Reverse gallop

60 → 130 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. low E string, open
    2. low E string, open
    3. low E string, open
    4. rest
    5. low E string, open
    6. low E string, open
    7. low E string, open
    8. rest
    9. low E string, open
    10. low E string, open
    11. low E string, open
    12. rest
    13. low E string, open
    14. low E string, open
    15. low E string, open
    16. rest

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Checkpoint

Move on when you can do all of these.

  • Open-E gallop even and palm-muted at 130 bpm for 8 bars
  • Hear a clear "da-ga-dum" on every beat, no flams on chord changes
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