Reverse gallops: two 16ths and an eighth
The gallop turned round: two 16ths, then an eighth, on the palm-muted low E, climbing to G and A, then G5 and A5 and a stop on B5. Where the gallop leans forward the reverse gallop pushes into each beat, and many riffs switch between the two. Played loose the 16ths smear into a triplet; played right, they sit exactly on the beat and the half beat after it.
Opens in the player looped and counted in, with drums playing along, and speeds up 5 % every 2 loops to 140 bpm. No account or microphone needed.
- Goal tempo
- 140 bpm
- Starts at
- 84 bpm
- Length
- 4 bars, looped
- Tuning
- E standard
- Time
- 4/4
- Level
- Intermediate
- Plays with
- Drums
How to play it
Down-up for the two 16ths, then down for the eighth; the first 16th lands squarely on the beat.
Each beat is two 16ths and an eighth on one note, picked down, up, down. Most beats are the palm-muted low E; the riff climbs to G at the 3rd fret on beat 4 of the first bar, and to A and G at the 5th and 3rd in the second.
The last bar gallops on G5 and A5 power chords and ends on a B5 hit with a heavy accent and a beat's rest, for the drums to fill.
The kick drum plays the same rhythm. Listen for it: if your two 16ths land with the kick's, you're in time; if they spread out towards the eighth, you're drifting into a triplet.
Mistakes to watch for
- Playing the two 16ths and the eighth as three even triplets.
- Rushing the eighth so the next beat comes early.
- An uneven pair of 16ths, with the upstroke weaker than the down.
A speed plan
The player starts at 60 % of the goal and plays each tempo twice before stepping up:
- 84
- 91
- 98
- 105
- 112
- 119
- 126
- 133
- 140
That's 16 loops and about 2 minutes before you're playing at 140 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 Reverse gallops?
The goal is 140 bpm in 16th notes, which is 9.3 notes a second. Start wherever every note is clean: the player begins at 84 bpm. Signed in, you can set a goal of your own, slower or faster, on the Exercises page.
What's the difference between a gallop and a reverse gallop?
A gallop is an eighth then two 16ths; the reverse gallop is two 16ths then an eighth. The gallop leans into the next beat, the reverse gallop starts each beat with a push. Practise both: many riffs switch between them.
Should I play the reverse gallop with alternate picking?
Down-up-down on each beat is the usual way, starting every beat with a downstroke. Some players downpick all three at slower tempos for a heavier sound.
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