Gallops on bass: the metal rhythm, finger-style
The gallop on bass: an eighth and two sixteenths on each note, through A, C and D. Locked with the guitar's gallop, it's what makes a heavy riff drive. It trains fast, precise finger alternation and tight time: the sixteenths stay even rather than smearing into a triplet.
Opens in the player looped and counted in, with the metronome on, and speeds up 5 % every 2 loops to 120 bpm. No account or microphone needed.
- Goal tempo
- 120 bpm
- Starts at
- 72 bpm
- Length
- 2 bars, looped
- Tuning
- E standard
How to play it
Keep the fingers alternating through the gallop; the eighth lands exactly on the beat.
Each beat is an eighth and two 16ths on the same note, starting on A at the 5th fret of the E string and moving to C and D on the A string. The plucking fingers keep alternating through the whole gallop, so the pattern starts on a different finger each beat.
Some bassists use three fingers or a pick for gallops at high tempos. Two fingers is the base to learn; once it's steady, decide whether you need more.
Mistakes to watch for
- Resetting to the index finger on every beat, which makes the two 16ths uneven.
- Smearing the gallop into a triplet.
- Letting each note ring into the next instead of keeping the 16ths short and tight.
A speed plan
The player starts at 60 % of the goal and plays each tempo twice before stepping up:
- 72
- 78
- 84
- 90
- 96
- 102
- 108
- 114
- 120
That's 16 loops and about a minute before you're playing at 120 bpm. If it stops being clean on the way, stop the ramp there and loop that tempo until it is. With a microphone or an audio interface you can record while you play instead: Demiurg checks every loop and steps up only after two clean ones in a row, and back down after a poor one.
Questions
How fast should I play Gallops?
The goal is 120 bpm in 16th notes, which is 8 notes a second. Start wherever every note is clean: the player begins at 72 bpm. Signed in, you can set a goal of your own, slower or faster, on the Exercises page.
Do bass and guitar play gallops together?
Usually, yes. Bass doubling the guitar's gallop is a big part of the sound of heavy metal. Try this with the guitar Gallops exercise in mind: the eighth lands exactly on the beat in both.
Should I use a pick for gallops?
It's easier at very fast tempos and sounds more aggressive. Finger-style is warmer and is what this exercise practises; both are common.